Can you believe it? Summer is finally over! Friday, September 22 officially kicked off the fall season. This can only mean four things: 1. Temperatures are dropping, or are soon to drop.  For someone like me who loves cold weather -- and gets very little of it in my hometown of South Florida -- this is certainly a welcome change. Unfortunately, it's warm year-round here with the exception of a few weeks in late winter/early spring. I'll take anything we can get, though, even if it's a mere five-degree "cooldown." 2. New and returning shows. Networks premier a slew of new shows in the fall. Meanwhile, loyal fans of returning shows like Law and Order and Scandal are treated to a new season of never-before-seen episodes. It's a great time to be a boob tube maniac. 3. The holidays are approaching. Most of us immediately associate fall with the changing of the leaves (i.e., yellow, orange, red, and brown), cornucopias, pumpkins, scarecrows, turkeys, and, o...

In the U.S., most people consider Memorial Day weekend the unofficial start of summer. And rightfully so. This time of year, people hit the beach in droves, take exciting vacations, and fire up the barbecue virtually every weekend. It's hard to believe that today is the last day of the month of May. It feels like it was only yesterday that we were celebrating Cinco de Mayo and, more recently, Mother's Day. Hopefully, you found May a productive month and managed to achieve one or more goals, if not inch closer to that end. If May was nothing to write home about -- maybe you didn't land that job you wanted, got dumped, or had to deal with a lot of crap at work -- you're certainly not alone. A new month means being able to press the Reset button and start with a clean slate. Whatever your goals, here's the chance to work even harder than you did last month toward accomplishing them. Whatever your passions, June presents a fresh opportunity to indulge them...

It's hard to believe today marks the start of autumn. This conjures up images of yellow and orange leaves blanketing yards and streets, oversized pumpkins, smiling scarecrows, costumed trick-or-treaters, and, though a little further into fall, scrumptious turkey and stuffing. Late September also signals the time of year I find to go by the quickest -- hands down. Between holidays, end-of-year celebrations, and other special occasions, these final three months fly by in a heartbeat. And that's to be expected. We're busier than we would be earlier in the year, doing everything from shopping for decorations and cooking holiday meals to taking vacations and closing out year-end budgets at work. Whether you welcome such hustle and bustle depends largely on your personality, lifestyle, and temperament. Though I love spending time with the family, I prefer the slower, more relaxed pace characteristic of the times of year that don't see as many holidays. You're ...

Moments ago, I was flipping through the channels and noticed that the Hallmark Channel is airing a spate of Christmas-themed shows and movies as part of its "Christmas in July" special. I'm not sure what to make of this. On the one hand, the holiday season is a special if short-lived time of year, so I can see why the network would want to do something like this. Christmas shows and movies are of the feel-good variety -- not only are they ideal to watch with the family, but they build anticipation for the actual holiday season, which is a mere five months away. I wouldn't be surprised if the Hallmark Channel got a major ratings boost from this endeavor. Yet, it feels a little awkward to be watching Christmas-based programming when it's 90 degrees outside and there's nary a Christmas tree or wreath in sight. I can imagine it being like celebrating Valentine's Day in September or the Fourth of July in March. Understandably, some kids might not want t...

Happy June, all! It's hard to believe we've reached the halfway point of the year. Six months are in the books, with just as many to go before we bid adieu to 2016. Doesn't it feel as though we were celebrating the holidays just yesterday? A new month marks an opportunity to move on from the problems and challenges of yesterday and look forward to better, more joyful days. May was a tough month for my wife and I. Not only did my father-in-law pass away, but I battled a pesky infection and fever in the closing days of the month. Thankfully, though, our strength, faith, and support from loved ones got us through it. The arrival of a new month allows us to press the proverbial reset button and start fresh. It gives us the ability to approach goals -- ones that may have seemed impossible to achieve last week -- with a sense of renewed optimism. It's like cleansing or purging ourselves of festering negativity and doubt. Whether you're aiming to lose weight, g...

Who else finds it hard to believe that we're in the middle of April already? It feels like just yesterday we were celebrating the holidays and ringing in the New Year. Summer will be here before we know it. I've noticed that once September ends, the final quarter of the year goes by at blazing speed, probably because of all the holidays that fall in those months. Remember how different things were when we were kids? Summer vacation couldn't come soon enough. The school year felt neverending. We would do anything back then to make time go a little faster. As adults, though, time feels scarce, and we only wish we had a way to stop or slow down the clock. The days seemingly blur into one another, and the months go by in the blink of an eye. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Time is without a doubt the most precious commodity we have. Unlike money, it's the one thing that we can't get back. Thus, it's no wonder why human beings strive to ...