Tuesdays with Muerte

Image:  Dangling Shoes from Pixabay. The phrase "waiting for the other shoe to drop" originates from early 20th-century New York City tenements, where thin floors made it possible to hear upstairs neighbors preparing for bed by dropping one shoe, and then anxiously awaiting the second thud. Over time, the phrase evolved from this literal experience to its current idiomatic meaning: to anticipate an inevitable, often negative, event or outcome.

We all want our kids to be happy, safe, and successful. But what if our efforts to protect them are actually holding them back? Over the past few decades, parenting has shifted from  helicoptering —hovering close and monitoring every move—to  lawnmowering , where parents clear every obstacle in a child’s path. Both come from love, but both send the same subtle message:  “You can’t handle this.” And that message can quietly chip away at a child’s confidence and resilience. Helicopter vs. Lawnmower Parenting: Two Sides of the Same Coin Helicopter parents  hover overhead—constantly checking where their kids are, who they’re with, and what they’re doing. For years, researchers believed this kind of “monitoring” kept kids out of trouble. But research tells a different story: Only  5%  of what parents know about their teens comes from strict monitoring. About  50%  comes from  kids choosing to share —because they trust their parents. This finding s...

Big societal changes can be hard to spot at first, but one shift happening across the United States is clear: DEI programs focused on are losing support, and an anti-DEI movement is gaining strength. What is DEI? So, what is DEI? Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Many people first heard about it in 2020 after George Floyd’s tragic death raised national awareness and sparked protests against racism and police violence. In response, companies and schools worked to create or expand DEI programs. These programs aim to promote fairness and make sure workplaces and classrooms include and support people from all backgrounds. DEI isn’t just about hiring; it’s also about creating a welcoming culture and improving how organizations treat everyone. Winds of Change When DEI programs first gained attention, many saw them as a positive step toward fairness, and criticizing them often felt like opposing equality. However, in just a few years, that perspective has shifted. For some, DEI has beco...