There are some things that happen that cause us to remember exactly where we were at that moment. When World War II ended. When the Berlin Wall fell. When Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. When Barack Obama was elected president.

Any discussion about President-elect Barack Obama has to include some mention of how far we have come with race relations in this country. When I cast my ballot, I had my doubts. When the election results were clear, my doubts were cast aside.

Clearly discussion around this election is heated. Not just between the candidates, but also between neighbors, colleagues and friends. Sadly, the discussion between strangers can be the worst.

The disrespect, the hate and the venom can be alarming. It rattles my confidence in our ability...

The global credit crisis has hit Wall Street and Main Street. But you know what's next. University Avenue.

The presidential election has given people the opportunity to talk about issues that matter to them. The economy and taxes are high on our list right now. But I for one hope that the discussion around health care reform continues.

Any one of us could be Renateco2. She is a mother. A small business owner. An American. And because of health problems, she found herself facing medical bills in the millions of dollars. Millions.

Now doesn't seem like the time to stop discussing, debating or trying to understand all the perspectives of the issues that matter to this country during this election. Especially with less than 40 days left to decide who should lead our great nation. WomenCount.org asked their members to talk...

There have been times lately when I have wanted to pack my suitcase and run away. To my imaginary world where the fundamentals of the economy are strong, there are no fossil fuels and a woman is president. But I always snap back to reality.

You send your kids to school. And they come home with strep throat, pink eye or... lice. It's bound to happen. We're talking about kids. They share their toys, costumes and clothing with their friends at school. But as Debbie found out, tackling lice is no problem for a...

With the Democratic National Convention last week and the Republican National Convention this week, we've been focused on the big issues facing our country. The economy. The war. The environment. Health care. Race. Gender.

Senator Hillary Clinton may not have won the Democratic party's nomination for president, but she won the hearts of many women, young and old, in her career and in her campaign to become the first female president.

Even after her speech on Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention...

Getting into the swing of the school year is hard enough. Leaving summer vacation behind. Adjusting to new schedules. Making new friends. But a threatening hurricane can bring a host of challenges for students and their families. The erratic Tropical Storm Fay inspired JTemple to write about a hurricane that...

As a new academic year begins, parents will drop their children off at school and pick them up at the end of the day. Others will drop them off at college and pick them up at the end of the semester. Regardless, our goodbyes will be filled with hugs and...

The end of summer is in sight. But in some parts, the heat lingers on, and we try to find patches of cool where we can. Afternoons under shady trees or by the water drinking lemonade. Evenings on the front porch sharing iced tea with the neighbors. Or in some...

As a mother, I constantly worry the things that my children learn from the people in their lives. Will their teachers help them strive for academic excellence? Will their friends encourage them to treat others with compassion? Will our family show them how to forgive with grace?

I didn't...

The election this year has encouraged us to talk about race and gender in a national dialogue. But some of the best conversations are closer to home. Rogerse had the chance to talk to her mother about her experiences as an African-American teen and to see her mother's familiar face...

Summer camps can be a safe haven -- a few precious weeks to live trouble-free and rapt in the activities at hand. Dagg228 was hoping that her time at the National High School Institute for Journalism at Northwestern University would be spent focused on reporting and writing.

But her...

Sometimes the best travel experiences don't involve exotic destinations or faraway places. They focus instead on the journey we've taken. Kelly and Greg took their children to Washington, D.C., to show them just how far our country has come.

Service in the military doesn't always mean being on the front line. This story from Ronnie, a member of the U.S. Honor Guard, shows another side of duty -- the job of honoring our presidents and burying our fallen. Celebrating this Fourth of July would be impossible without remembering the...

We take it for granted. Water. Because it flows so easily from the taps in our kitchens and bathrooms and so plentifully into our showers and baths. It flooded so forcefully from our rivers in the Midwest that towns and farms were engulfed and families lost their homes.

But...