Bethany Van Delft

Pursuant to my father’s death earlier this year, Father’s Day should obviously have been canceled. However, due to an apparent clerical blunder, the holiday does seem to be approaching, notwithstanding its newfound lack of relevance. I presume that the error will be addressed by next June. In the meantime, please adhere to these etiquette tips to ensure a successful cookout. DO invite me to your barbecue. A girl’s gotta eat. DON’T pretend this isn’t a Father’s Day celebration.

When my daughter Lulu was a toddler, I dreaded “cry o’clock”. It happened every afternoon at around 4:00 pm, when it felt like the equivalent of three days had already passed, but there were still three more hours until another adult would be home. I’d cry and cry and cry while she napped. I cried because I was tired in a way I didn't know you could be. I thought I knew tired working 80-hour weeks in the service industry. But this new exhaustion felt like it was tattooed on my soul.

“When there’s a problem, what do we say? Where there’s a will, there’s always a way” sing wide-eyed wombat siblings Zadie, Malik, and Zeke in the theme song of the new PBS KIDS animated series, “Work It Out Wombats!” The Wombats love exploring, creating, and solving daily childhood problems. Zadie uses her active imagination to brainstorm exciting ideas involving rockets, motorcycles, and skyscrapers. Malik interprets her ideas into plans they can actually make happen.