(Photo by Brian Birdwell via Flickr)
Change happens. Uninvited, sometimes. Other times only through careful work and planning.
Change bring choices. Should we embrace it and move on or struggle to reverse it? When it happens, we call on the unchanged parts of ourselves to help us navigate – our values, our strengths, our families and neighbors.
These are the stories people’s shifting lives, altered habits, evolving attitudes and those inevitable transitions that move us along life’s road.
Nine sources from our network explain why they are hopeful that Pope Francis I will change -- in one way or another -- the focus and reputation of the Catholic Church.
After two days of conclave, Catholic cardinals chose a new pope Wednesday. Pope Francis I has a list of "firsts" attached to his election, and we want to know what people are hoping for with the new appointment.
Veterans of many generations wrote to tell us how their experience in the military informs their views on the Pentagon's decision to expand the role of women in combat. Read their stories, then tell us yours.
Everyone can do one thing, make one change, to be healthier. Sometimes you just need some inspiration. John Mulligan (pictured) decided to go vegan. He and other folks who made changes in 2012 share some advice.
William Campbell counted himself among the three-quarters of Americans who say work is a significant source of stress. So, at age 48, he left a 20-year career in journalism and entered the police academy. His goal: to become an "animal cop."
After graduating from college, Joseph Sicheneder couldn't find a purpose for his life. He was drinking and couldn't find motivation to get a job. But a chance meeting ignited a passion he didn't know he had.
Last spring, Vicky Hay lost her job and faced a major health scare. So she stopped worrying about work for retirement's sake, and took up an old hobby as a full-time focus.
First in a series about how life changes impact our health: When Carolyn Waters left the Cascade Mountains for Kentucky, she replaced birdsong with traffic noise and pristine vistas with parking lots. But a continent no longer separates her from the people she loves.
The joy of the season is tempered by bittersweet memories of loved ones who are no longer around to celebrate with us.
Peter LeGrand lost his best friend of four decades at the holidays last year. This year, the veteran toymaker has found a renewed joy in the holiday season thanks to the memory of his lost friend.
What if, instead of shaking your fist at the policy-makers yammering on TV, you could bring your own best ideas for solving America's problems to the table? WAMU radio is offering that chance with their new Big Fix project.
What is one change you've made to improve your health this year? And what advice do you have for someone who wants to make a similar change?
When Chris McNaught lost his voice, he had to leave his job as a school counselor. Now he's back in the classroom, trying to work through his condition and pass on what he has learned about the value of listening.
As we move from 2012 to the new year, we're collecting stories of change and adjustment.
Many of the men who train at the Spartan Academy are combat veterans, recently returned from Iraq or Afghanistan. Some have been diagnosed with PTSD. Most are readjusting to civilian life after war. At the gym, they've found a place to work through both.
"What our relationship would have become if things had worked out, or if the divorce had come later, I can never know." Christopher Fleming writes. "But what I do know is that each breath shared with Jacob is a chance to get better together."
Holidays are difficult for so many people because of who is missing from around the table. If you have a story about how the holidays are different for you this year, we invite you to share your experience.
When Wednesday morning comes -- no matter who wins -- we want to know what one thing YOU will do to make your corner of the world a better place?
If you're the first generation to be born in the United States, how do your parents define success for you?
