Growing up, “A” was for attitude. And as I grew older, into the edgy years of puberty, “A” became “AA”—for attitude adjustment. My father liked to say, “You need an attitude adjustment.” Frequently spot-on, his …

Two steps and a knock from my front door, and I’m in an orphanage. We don’t call it an orphanage, but a rose by any other name is still a rose. No matter what we call it, Mommy and Daddy don’t come home at night.

She’s not even 21 days old. She’s one of the most beautiful babies I’ve ever seen. Fine porcelain features, flawless skin, and full lips. She’s tiny, and her little fingers look so fragile that I’m …