THE THOUGHT COUNTS: If it’s the season of giving, you can give to anyone. (Courtesy photo) Christmas 2009 was shaping up to be a sad one. My partner’s mom died of ovarian cancer in June of that year; we’d lost her dad to pancreatic cancer three years earlier. For Betsy and her two sisters, it […]
Robin Miner-Swartz
Robin Miner-Swartz is the vice president of communications for the Capital Region Community Foundation. She’s a #lovelansing cheerleader and bleeding-green Spartan who never met a cup of Biggby coffee and a spinach and feta omelet she didn’t like. The views and assertions of guest columnists do not necessarily reflect those of Bridge or The Center for Michigan.
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Be happy for holidays – no matter which is yours
MERRY CHRISMUKKAH! This vintage menorah shaped like a Christmas tree is just right for an interfaith home. (Courtesy photo) According to my parents, I’m the daughter of a Reform Jewish mom from Brooklyn and a nondenominational Christian dad from Battle Creek. We had menorahs and a Christmas tree in our home. According to Beliefnet’s interesting […]
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Abuse survivor lights fuse on children's recovery
SPARKLING: Having survived child sex abuse, Lansing’s Tashmica Torok started the Firecracker Foundation to help other survivors. (Courtesy photo) You think you know your friends. I met Tashmica Torok about three years ago. In the span of an hour I was pretty sure I’d made a friend for life. She was a hilarious, smart, driven, […]
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Put pen to paper, and give the world a gratitude adjustment
PUT IT IN WRITING: Whether it’s on plain paper or a fancy card, there’s nothing like a handwritten thank-you note. (Bridge photo by Robin Miner-Swartz) I sent a thank-you note to my therapist last week. I hadn’t seen her in more than a decade, but recently found myself reflecting on my time with her and […]
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Everyone dies, and planning for it is enlivening
TAXES AND THAT OTHER THING: Gay marriage isn’t yet legal in Michigan, but smart same-sex couples will prepare for the inevitable (death, that is) through estate planning. (Bridge photo/Nancy Derringer) I’ve done a handful of things in my life that made me think, “I’m an adult now” — you know, the usual milestones: – Got […]
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Youth Action Committees give teens head start on philanthropy
GOOD FOR EVERYONE: Sydney Harvey, a freshman at Lansing Catholic High School, volunteers at the Special Olympics of Michigan Area 8 games in May. Sydney is a member of the Capital Region Community Foundation’s Youth Action Committee. (Courtesy photo) High school clubs have come a long way since I was a teenager. Even my progressive […]
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