As Leo Tolstoy put it in Anna Karenina, "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way" What about other family traits

Amidst the yards of fabric and the glitter of jewels, the 81st Academy Awards might seem an unlikely place for 40-somethings or sandwiched boomers to look for role models After all, the red carpet doesn't exactly represent the clothes in our closets or the figures reflected back to us in the mirror

Now that Michelle Obama's mother is living in the White House, will the cruel jokes and snide remarks about mothers-in-law finally stop Will Marian Robinson, as first mother-in-law, be able to pave the way for acceptance, even respect, for this much-maligned branch of the family tree

Over two thousand years ago, the ancient Romans began the practice of making New Year's resolutions when they named the first month after Janus, the god of beginnings Janus had two faces, one looking back at the old year, the other looking forward to the new one

Even with the harsh economic news - jobless rates up and the stock market down - we can still find a lot to be grateful about, especially during the holidays Families and friends traditionally draw together for support in times of crisis and this year is no different

Lost in the headlines about the presidential election and the stock market meltdown is the fact that October is the month dedicated to controlling domestic violence The irony is that the financial shock waves are likely to increase the prevalence of abuse

Across the United States and around the world, the effects of the financial crisis continue to spread – foreclosures are widespread, banks are being taken over, stock markets are erratic, credit is frozen and bankruptcies are increasing No one can predict with certainty the long-term effects on the economy, but most pundits agree that this collapse will not right itself in the near future

The news media thrive on streaming information - and gossip - about the exploits of high visibility couples The general public has been well informed about the infidelity of John Edwards, the visits to call girls by Eliot Spitzer, the on-going splits of Hollywood couples

This year's Presidential and Vice-Presidential election spotlights the important contributions made by women in our society - be they single or married, mothers or not, young or old, rich or poor, from big cities or small towns, in high-powered careers or down-to-earth jobs The women in this election season are as exciting and controversial as any male candidates have ever been

The full range of female athletes on the 2008 Olympic teams makes it clear that age and family responsibilities are not the barriers to participation in the Games they used to be Stories from Beijing highlight the courage and resolve of the mothers of the world - as they demonstrate their athletic prowess and win gold or silver medals