I am a voracious reader and every week I come across either a book, online piece or website I want to share with others. I’ve decided to curate these gems and highlight them on Friday. I hope you find these faves as insightful as I do.

• Seven years ago, I cared for my father while he received hospice care at my childhood home. In the process I learned this truth: “Dying can be long and bewildering, lonely and painful, frequently undignified, and consumed by pressing and unpredictable and constantly changing and multiplying needs. It’s a relief to have someone around who understands what’s going on and what may happen next.”  The New Yorker’s “A Tender Hand in the Presence of Death” by Larissa MacFarquhar is an important piece tackling a difficult subject. 

• We are a tennis family and I enjoy watching my daughter hit the ball across the net. Did you know that it takes over twenty steps to make a single tennis ball? The video of the process is fun to watch. 

• I’ve grappled with this question – when should I give my daughter a cell phone? Not surprisingly, research says to wait. The New York Times addresses this precise question – “What’s the Right Age for a Child to Get a Smartphone?“

• My husband is a fan of podcasts. He is always recommending various people and their musings. I’m not an enthusiastic listener like him, but  Malcom Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast, “Carlos Doesn’t Remember” pushed me to reflect. It will take thirty minutes of your time. It is worth it. 

What were some of your favorites this week?