(Not So) Common Sense – Carole Townsend

In truth, we’re raising adults. Not children.
By Carole Townsend

Our little nine month old granddaughter spent the night with us this past weekend, an honor bestowed on my husband and me before anyone else. I truly felt honored, because I wasn’t sure our daughter was going to be able to let go.

I do love Georgia in winter
By Carole Townsend

Ah, Georgia in winter. Is there anyplace more exciting than right here in the peach state during the season kicked off by the winter solstice? I don’t think so.

The Oscars are coming!
By Carole Townsend

The 87^th annual Oscar Awards ceremony airs this coming Sunday, February 22. I know this, because my sister makes sure I know when it’s scheduled every year.

We’re only as sick as our secrets.
By Carole Townsend

I have thought long and hard about writing this column, about sharing in a very public arena what is typically considered a very private matter. I want to address the topic of domestic abuse. In fact, let’s get this column off on the right foot.

Share the road. Safely, please.
By Carole Townsend

My husband and I took a little trip this past weekend. It involved 12 hours of driving (round trip), about 16 hours of work (a labor of love), and whatever time was left dedicated to dinners out, and sleep. Still, it was rare time together, and we always enjoy that.

My, where does the time go?
By Carole Townsend

I remember being a young woman – admittedly a smug one when I was in my twenties – and hearing “old” people say things like, “The older you get, the faster time flies,” and “Better enjoy your children while they’re young. They grow up so fast.” I would hear these things, and arrogantly I would smile, all the while thinking to myself, “Only old people say things like that.” Keep in mind, when I was I my twenties, anyone over age 35 was “old.”

The Family Dinner Matters
By Carole Townsend

It’s been said for years, by psychologists, pastors, and even by just us laypeople:  family dinnertime matters. In a whirlwind world that gets more blustery by the year, what with sports and academic activities, work and other commitments, the family dinner table is, in a sense, the eye of the storm. It’s that calm, peaceful time when a family can sit down, unplug, share and forge stronger bonds. Such time is critical to healthy families.

To Resolve, or Not to Resolve?
By Carole Townsend

Quick, when someone mentions the New Year to you, what does that bring to mind? For some, it’s a melancholy time, packed with nostalgia, “what-ifs” and such. For some, a New Year is brimming with hope and promise, change and excitement. For many of us, the New Year is a symbolic chance to make positive changes, set goals and achieve them. It’s a time of resolve, a time of convicted resolution.