All The Home Forum
A wok down memory lane: As new immigrants, we found comfort in an old potWhen a young woman and her family immigrated to San Francisco from Taiwan in the 1970s, a trusty old wok carried the flavors of home.
‘Kindness can tether us when we’re feeling adrift.’ Why I helped a stranger buy bread.When he helps a lost stranger find her way, our essayist discovers a central tenet of giving: The giver often gains more than the receiver.
A cupboard full of ‘wild books’: Singing the praises of Little Free LibrariesIn an era when the latest books trend on social media, Little Free Libraries offer a sense of serendipity, community, and connection.
Come cry with me! A cross-country flight, a wailing baby – and communal joy.What happens when a crying baby reigns over a cross-country flight? The community pulls together.
For my Colombian American mom, home is never taken for grantedFor some long-established immigrants, the fallout from immigration debates is that travel can bring trepidation and belonging feels fragile.
I was eager to cut the cord on my landline. Why I’ve come to regret it.After 40 years of spontaneous conversations, I cut the cord on my landline – and bade goodbye to an era of close connections.
Falling in love with my clarinet, all over againMusic lessons, roller skating, adult coloring books. Revisiting childhood hobbies as an adult can evoke wonder and joy.
How Jane Goodall inspired my daughter: It started with chickens.With the world remembering Jane Goodall, here’s how one child sees her legacy: “She realized something true that nobody else recognized.”
When the storms of daily life loom, my family finds refuge in readingIn an era in which devices and social media can increasingly pull us apart, one family discovers connection and togetherness in books.
The transformative power of throwing open my shuttersEven small adjustments in one’s life can pay big dividends. For our essayist, simply casting aside his shutters revealed new glimmers in his day.
Dreaming in Hindi: How learning a new language helped me reclaim my rootsFor one young girl growing up in India, learning English as a child meant adopting a new worldview. Today, she’s rediscovering her culture.
Savoring September: How I learned to treasure an unsung seasonPitch-perfect weather, crisp mornings, blue skies, and russet-tinged leaves. Those are just a few of the reasons we sing the praises of September.
I went to Spain to find adventure. I realized I already had what I was looking for.I went to Seville, Spain, to break out of my mundane routine. My experience taught me to step out of my head and into the moment.
Sunny days, starry nights: Cherishing childhood summersFrom walleyes to fireflies, capturing summer memories steeped in nature.
The first stop on the road to joy? Getting to know my feathered friends.When she learned about the birds in her backyard, a writer discovered that happiness lives right under your nose, if you know where to look.
‘The beach is my teacher.’ How an unexpected encounter changed my view of beauty.An unexpected encounter on a Florida beach opened my eyes to societal definitions, and misconceptions, of beauty.
In Greece, I learned to taste my way through love and life. Opa!In one magical, midnight phyllo-making session on the island of Corfu in Greece, I learned that all I kneaded was love.
Home tweet home: How I turned my boring backyard into a bustling wildlife sanctuaryTwig by tiny twig, a blossoming birder tackles her “fixer-upper” property and transforms it into a “tiny state park” buzzing with wildlife.
Summertime, and the memories come easy: 5 writers savor sunny timesHere comes the ice cream truck! As a handful of writers sharing simple childhood memories can attest, summertime is a season steeped in nostalgia.
A July Fourth reflection: The flag ‘flies for all of us’My grandfather and I sharply disagreed on politics. But what undergirded our debates was a deep love for our nation and a desire to see it flourish.
