The Simple Life

How to live an authentic life.

by Gigi Vorgan

Infertility: Pain, Blame, and Shame

A good friend told me she’d always wanted kids, just not right away. After college she’d begun a career she loved and soon met a man she became engaged to. When they first got married, neither one of them was in a hurry to change their busy lifestyles and start playing house. They had their whole lives ahead of them and before you could say Pampers she was 35. She and he Read More

A View To Die For

I was talking real estate with a friend the other day. Of course the old "location, location, location" phrase came up. She told me that what was important to her and her retired husband was having a gorgeous view, and being close enough to family and friends so they would come and visit. Read More

Writing Books With My Husband

Writing with a partner is always challenging - sometimes it can be invigorating and productive, but more often it's frustrating and full of friction. Either way, you, the writer, are no longer your own boss; you must answer to and often spend exhausting hours negotiating with your partner. Read More

Seeing a Psychiatrist When Nothing's Wrong

When I feel like I don't have any problems, my psychiatrist and I can focus on the true problems in my life - like my fear of growing old (fear of dying) or my fear of my husband growing old (he dies before me), or worst of all, he dies after me and spends all the money we've saved having fun with some bimbo second wife. Read More

Faithfulness and Geography

My husband travels about twice a month for work. After 22 years of marriage, these bursts of solitude are a welcome chance to do my own thing, order pizza for the kids and me if I feel like it, see my single friends, stay up late and spread my magazines, books and catalogues all over the bed - while eating chips in bed, too - one of my husbands pet peeves. Read More

No More Mr. Nice Mom

My best friend's daughter was about to finish her senior year in high school, but she'd had senioritis since 11th grade. She used to have stellar grades, star in all the school plays, and lead the student council to new heights. She was the darling of the dean's eye. Read More

Weather or Not

When you live in California, it's always another year of drought. No matter how many deluges of flooding rain you've waded through during the winter, the following summer you can't water your lawn because of draught. Every weatherperson I could find on the radio, television, internet and newspaper yesterday predicted rain for Los Angeles today. Read More

Being There

I've known her longer than any other friend - since the third grade. We may not jaw on the phone everyday, or even go out to dinner every month, but when we do get together we connect like no time has passed at all. We either laugh our heads off or cry our eyes out - sometimes both. There are no secrets too embarrassing to tell because we already know the unspeakable about each other. Read More

Con Artist

"He stopped short, Mommy, right in front of me," my daughter blurted through the phone. I knew from the moment she called me "Mommy" that something was up.

She continued, "I braked but I couldn't stop..."

"And?" I was forced to ask.

"We had an accident." She croaked, her voice breaking into a sob.

"Was anybody hurt?" I asked, concerned. Read More

You're Only Young As You Feel

I was savoring my ritual cappuccino across the street from my dentist's office as I did every time I went there, when this incredibly handsome young guy sat down two tables over. Our eyes met and he smiled seductively. I practically choked on my biscotti. I could have sworn I knew him from somewhere... But it wasn't the gym... He sipped his sparkling water and gave me a little wave. Read More

De-Clutter Your Life

My girlfriend was in from New York and stood in my bathroom convulsing in laughter, "You don't have shampoo? Not any?" She sputtered. Read More

Love, Honey

"Hi Honey, I just remembered that it's my parent's anniversary on Friday, and we really should take them out to dinner. That means we have to cancel on Val and Stuart. Can you make the call? I'm tied up in meetings all day. Thanks. Love, Honey" Read More