Kayden is doing her very best not to tell me about the preparations she and mom and Jack have made for Father’s Day, but she is six years old, and at this age especially, secrets are like little, wet bars of soap.

Search online, or in a library or bookshop, and you’ll find how-to books about parenting. Recent popular titles include “Simplicity Parenting,” “The Five Principles of Parenting” and “How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk.” There are even books about how not to parent, like Leonard Sax’s “The Collapse of Parenting.” 

This summer and fall, visitors can enjoy family-friendly programs in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, starting June 7. Visitors are invited to take a hike with a ranger, learn about mountain life, meet some of the creatures that call the Smokies’ home, trek into the dark and much more.  

Members of the community, including numerous people from several law enforcement agencies, gathered on the lawn in front of Haywood County’s historic courthouse last Wednesday for an event to highlight a growing problem in our community — child abuse. 

In recognition of April as child abuse prevention month, KARE is inviting the community to join in celebrating the strength and hope that help families thrive.

It was one of those moments that I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

A moment just to myself, where when the moment was unfolding in real time, you feel an immediate and deep gratitude for, this intrinsic connection to the universe. 

Is it just me or, as we get older, doesn't it seem like time moves at warp speed? When I was a child, minutes felt like hours and days felt like weeks. Maybe it was because getting lost in a moment was effortless or, while my parents and teachers managed the hard stuff, I was left to simply play and explore.

Recently I caught up with several good friends over lunch and, within 20 minutes, we divulged huge life news that was surprising to the rest of the group. As I sat there with these ladies who I know very well, I realized how strange it is that as a society we’ve come to know more about what’s going on across the world than across the street.

This past weekend our family attended the 4th annual Waynesville Chili Cookoff Stroll in downtown. The event spanned the districts of Main Street, Frog Level and Haywood Street and lasted from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Christmas Eve. With the sun fading behind the Blue Ridge Mountains, the sky transitioning into bright pink, purple and orange, I found myself quietly jogging the four-mile path around Lake Junaluska. Nobody around me, the air quickly gets cold during sunset. Dozens of Canada geese roaming the walking trails and shoreline, with many more either swimming or in-flight nearby.