Modern friendship, bound by technology, can come with a melancholy asterisk.

American cheering following Osama Bin Laden's death wasn't the rule.

Chatting with a monk in a holy place can make for a cryptic aftermath.

The passage of time can awaken sleeping feelings, or put them to rest.

A first trip to New York City triggers sudden worries for a Sicilian.

Taking on the cello in midlife is a challenge you offer to yourself alone.

Another woman's sense of happiness can elicit contradictory emotions.

When an old friend considers his dying mother, past and future merge.

At the office, the man from Bhutan, land of happiness — until realism intervenes.

Pent-up New York rage, once ignited, can get very nasty, very fast.

Waiting for the universe to lend a helping hand can last longer than a lifetime.

In the United States, vacation time is a rare and precious commodity.