I was thinking recently about a challenge that comes up reg­u­larly in my pro­fes­sional role as a learning consultant and instructional designer.

I am hired to develop corporate training materials, and one of my responsibilities is helping clients identify the key learning objectives for their training projects.

This aspect of my work got me wondering: If I were to consult with myeloma pa­tients and their families, what learning objectives would I recommend for them? What skills do they need the …

My husband Daniel, who was diagnosed with smoldering myeloma in 2012, has always had hearing problems. He has small Eu­sta­chian tubes that don’t ad­e­quate­ly drain fluid, his doctors say. His struggling Eu­sta­chian tubes usually bring at least one ear infection per year, and often lead to double ear infections when­ever his allergies get bad, which in the sub­tropical climate of Houston means a lot of the year.

Lately, Daniel has had a terrible time hearing anything. Over the years, there have been …

I was recently talking with a friend about her child’s reading curriculum when I was reminded of a short story, The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien. It is set amongst a platoon of American soldiers in the Vietnam War, and it chronicles the experiences of Lt. Jimmy Cross, their platoon leader. Through the story, he carries physical reminders of home with him, until one day he parts with them, knowing that he must do so in order to survive the war. …

It was appointment day, and my husband Daniel and I rode in thought­ful silence as we neared the hospital. Neither one of us felt like talk­ing, nor did we make banal chit-chat, a small com­fort from knowing one another so well. He drove more ag­gres­sive­ly than usual, dodg­ing in out of traffic like Mario Andretti in his final lap. I grasped the door handle, but I said noth­ing, which for me was not usual.

My thoughts ran to his ap­point­ment, and maybe …

If you were to walk through my kitchen, you’d see myriad white ironstone platters and pitchers atop honey-colored cabinets. You’d probably also spy a golden tabby smugly perched on the stone countertop. And, most days, you’d find a jigsaw puzzle on my kitchen table.

I like jigsaw puzzles. I’ve been putting them together for years. I like the process of sorting out the border pieces and piling like colors, patterns, and shapes. I take satisfaction in finding bridge pieces that …

The winds of change are blowing, as they do for all of us – myeloma patients, caregivers, and healthy people alike – and so I answer with the activities of normalcy. Lately that means putting away the holiday décor.

There’s something comforting to me about putting everything back in its place, for as much as I love gazing upon my Christmas villages or the white porcelain ornaments on the tree, I always welcome a return to un­cluttered counters and furniture …

With children’s choirs clad in red and green singing round nativity scenes, eager shoppers filling the stores, and lines leading to knee-weary Santas, I've been thinking: What is the perfect Christmas gift this season?

At various points in my life, I definitely would have answered that question differently.

There were countless Christmas mornings when I awoke wide-eyed, hoping to see the fruits of the “nice list” rather than the “naughty” one.

As a little girl, I adored Princess Leia from …