Teresa has to be my favorite. So loving to her children and her husband (where does he get all that cash?) and caught up in finding the perfect accessories for all! (And how cute are those kids?!?!)

Dina with her diva-like qualities, her self-absorption (but in a good way) and her quest to get back her “little” girl (and I love Lexi!).

Caroline is great as the matriach of the bunch — all knowing, all confident, fiercely loyal and no one to mess with. Such lucky kids to have her as a mother, huh?

Jacqueline seems to be the puppy of the group, all loving and happy to see everyone and willing to take a treat from just about anyone. Sometimes I want to scream “Just tell her!” when she’s batting her eyes and looking all beaten down and lost.

And Danielle. The tragic, drama queen, always mis-understood and innocent of all charges. And despite her portrayal as the “victim” of the group, she somehow seems to be the unknowing antagonist who drives everyone nuts — can it be on purpose or is she just annoying?

There’s lots of self-esteem issues and insecurities going on here too – Why is it so hard for Jacqueline to make her place in the family? And though I love Teresa, is she really a sh– stirrer? And why do we never see Dina’s husband? She mentions her husband but appears like a strong, single (unhappy) working mother. And what’s with Danielle’s plastic face? There’s a sad women under all that Botox.

Anyone care to comment. I love these girls!

When you think about it, none of us can say that we have gotten to where we are alone. I mean, our parents created us and, for most of us, were involved in our development. Other family members contributed to our growth, teachers educated us and friends and neighbors supported and entertained us. There are actually many people involved in the rearing of a child (you know, “it takes a village”), however, somewhere in that crowd, is the face of that one person who has made a big affect on us; who has influenced us enough that we strive to emulate her positive qualities and personality traits; someone we wish we could be like and/or for whom we would not be who we are today if not for her presence in our lives.

Family. Are you particularly attached to your mother, sister, grandmother or aunt? Is there someone to whom you are so close that you follow all her advice, confide in her, do things like her or finish her sentences?

Friend. Is there a particular friend who has supported you, shared your dreams or stuck by you when no one else would? Someone who has celebrated your triumphs, dried your tears and made you laugh?

Community; other professional. Do you have a neighbor whom you admire for leading a good and charitable life, and who has made a difference in the lives of others? A woman who has protected you, guided you, nursed you back to health and/or given you hope?

Teacher; poet; writer. Is there someone who has taught you, inspired you, opened up the world to you, made you consider other possibilities or enlightened you?

World leader; historical figure. Do you want to be like someone who has worked for peace, represented the underdog or improved the rights and living conditions of those less fortunate?

Celebrity. Which star do you think has it all – everything you consider to be the best: looks, money, fame, love, talent, attitude, possessions, it?

Her name here. One of those unsung heroes whom you admire for quietly sacrificing herself for the greater good, for a noble cause or simply for someone else’s benefit.

Now that you’ve figured out who your hero is, I wonder what it is you would tell that person in a letter – how much she means to you, how she has made a difference in your life, what you admire about her? Would you thank her for her contribution and love? Try writing one and when you’re done, you can send it to her (or her family), frame it or just put it away for safekeeping (or you can also send it to me for posting on my Web site).

No matter what you eventually do with your tribute, you can rest assured that, at the very least, you have unleashed gratitude, humility and positive karma into the world which will float out into the universe and stimulate good intentions, peace, and love all over the place!

Consider this: Whoever this person is – she was a leader by example – are you doing the same? For whom might YOU be a role model?

With all the buzz about Wall Street, job losses, and the world economy, I thought that when I asked a teenage friend of mine how her father’s business was doing, she would respond with a qualified answer.  I was surprised to hear her say, “Oh, I don’t know.  I don’t understand that stuff…”.  I noticed she was wearing trendy clothing, had a new “iphone” and a designer handbag, so I figured her father was probably doing alright.  Or was he?

It’s nice to extend the naivete of childhood as far as possible, but when it comes to adolescents, is it really best to keep from them all the details about our finances, or should we initiate discussions about current events, the tough times people close to us are going through and, perhaps, tell them an “acceptable” truth about our own money situation? 

As a child, I was kept in the dark about money until my late teens, if you can believe that!  I had no idea what my parents earned and just knew that if I asked for $20 to buy something, I could probably have it.  I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t even consider the origin of money; I just thought of it as a never-ending flow of funds that came from parents to pay for things that kids needed. 

In reality, we were poor.  Although my mother had a job, my two older sisters (and a few aunts) were the ones who helped out on occasion to keep our bills paid.  But I did not know that.  The day I came face to face with my delusions about life and learned “where money comes from” was the day after my mother passed away. 

I had just graduated from high school and I remember feeling scared and stupid when faced with questions like, “How do I pay the bills?” and “Where do I get an apartment?” – things that were really never explained to me.  I was very sheltered, and this method of childrearing, although I’m sure a choice made by parents with good intentions, did not really protect me from anything.  Rather it shielded me from learning how to take care of myself, which I believe is a priceless gift and the duty of all parents to their children.

So could now be the perfect time to talk to our kids about money?

Though we may want to protect our children from knowing too much about the hardships of life, perhaps this is a golden opportunity to teach them about earning money, planning for the future, and appreciating what they already have.  I’m not saying we should alarm them to the point of making them worry or feel insecure, but I am a big believer in letting older children in on the workings of the household finances and what they can do to help out.

The greed of the past two decades did much harm by positioning the “Haves” front and center, flaunting their worth and reckless spending to the “Have-Nots” and sending a message that said, “Unless you are one of us, you are nothing.”  Now is the perfect time to adjust our priorities and teach young people how to survive and thrive, to set goals and work toward their dreams, and about what really matters in life.

Over the last several decades, we have witnessed many kinds of demonstrations by protestors raging against “The Machine” on a variety of issues; non-conformists facing those in power attempting to shake up the status quo and change unfair practices and old ways of thinking. 

We’ve seen marches, sit-ins, and rallies representing group dissent of issues like infringement on civil rights, warmongering, and discrimination.  Recently, however, there was a different kind of insurrection – a smack-down of stereotyping and a battle won for self-esteem.  It was the night Susan Boyle graced the stage of Britain’s Got Talent! 

A few weeks ago this unknown, unassuming woman with the voice of an angel took on a world filled with small-minded, judgmental know-it-alls and gave audio/visual club kids everywhere hope for a chance at greatness.

The appearance of this brave, peculiar woman and the contradiction between her difficult life (before the show) and her incredible singing ability, made us all re-evaluate our thought processes and examine our suppositions about people which, for most of us, are based on mere appearances. 

Let’s be honest, didn’t we all assume her performance would be terrible when we first looked at her?  How is it that we have come to judge a person’s capabilities – their actual worth – on what we see in just a few seconds? 

The truth is, the rich and powerful have always dictated the trends to the media and advertisers who, in turn, train our eyes to recognize (their versions of) what is beautiful, valuable, and acceptable.  We’ve become conditioned to think that what conforms to these ideals is good and what is different is bad.

Can you imagine what it must have been like to completely reveal your true, imperfect self in front millions of skeptical eyes, knowing full well that you are the unlikeliest of heroes?  If we take a moment to think back to puberty, I think it must have felt something like that!  Scary. Embarrassing.  Nauseating.  But, in the end, oh so rewarding! 

For those of you who are or have ever been like Susan Boyle I say, “Never give up, and keep chasing your dream!”  For those who have lived the “charmed” life I say, “Beware of the day things change for you.  When you find yourself in the company of those whom you rejected, you will not know how to handle it.”

And if you believe the saying, “There but for the grace of God, go I,” at any time, any one of us could find ourselves in the unfortunate circumstances of another, so let’s try to be more aware and tolerant of the plights and limitations of others, and learn to keep an open mind about one another. 

And because when you think about it, what we tend to value most in life is fragile and fleeting –  beauty, fame, fortune, love – let’s also be grateful for the gifts and good fortune that have come our way and consider ourselves lucky for even a moment in the spotlight.