Opinion

Everyone in the Staum family knows that Uncle Yitz is 38 years old and is turning 39 on his birthday.

Uncle Yitz is my father’s older brother. He and my Aunt Chaya are blessed with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Wanting to please people sounds kind of nice, doesn’t it? However, if you are someone who feels you have to mold yourself to the expectations of everyone around you, you may need to rethink. You could very well be harboring resentment and, eventually, bitterness.

Do you understand how you feel and behave most often? What are some of your best or worst traits? Are you able to stay calm during stressful moments? Do you sometimes feel like you’re actually not “normal”? Perhaps you feel too deeply or have trouble trusting anyone at all.

This past Sunday, when I rode my bike, I was reminded that New York City may be the most bike-friendly big city in the country and possibly in the world. I rode from Kew Gardens Hills to Fort Lee, NJ, which included crossing both the Queensboro Bridge and the George Washington Bridge. Except for a few blocks in Forest Hills, the remainder of the trip had a separate bike lane — some adjacent to vehicle lanes without barriers, others protected by barriers, and some entirely separate, such as on the two bridges and the bike path surrounding much of Manhattan.

Did you notice that when a crisis hits and your mood drops, you may, for the first time, question what your purpose in life truly is? Until such a time, you may have taken quite a bit for granted. Perhaps you looked forward to things despite struggling with the minor inconveniences of daily life.

If you’ve lived long enough, chances are you’ve been stabbed in the back — possibly even by someone you cared about. Trust is the foundation of any healthy relationship or friendship. Do you know who you can — and cannot — have faith in?