Reader's Digest October 2013

I was a bad mom this weekend: On Saturday, my daughters and I ate lunch at McDonald’s. I try. I really do. I take pride in eating as close to “nature” as possible. I do it for myself and for my girls and to set a good example for my readers. I wash and cut fresh fruit daily. I tote snacks of carrots, string cheese, and nuts, and I make a pot of veggie-based soup most Sundays. I have the motivation (and the means) to eat well. Even so, I sometimes fall back on processed convenience food. And then I suffer the guilt. That’s why I couldn’t put down David Freedman’s essay “How Junk Food Can End Obesity,” in the Atlantic. Freedman questions whether fast food is as evil as…

LETTERS ON THE AUGUST ISSUE An Emotional Ride Wow, I can’t remember another issue of Reader’s Digest that made me laugh so hard or cry so much. I wanted to play tag with the friends from “tag, You’re it!” and i cried reading baby austin’s story (“11 hours in room 407”). thank you for the emotional ride! Meg Kelly, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania A Personal Reflection I finished “11 Hours in Room 407” with tears in my eyes. In 1996, my son was born with severe meconium aspiration syndrome, which damaged his lungs. We were told he would not survive. Now my son is getting ready to apply for colleges. Never underestimate the will and determination to survive. Judi Zimmerman, Fair lawn, New Jersey Starry Skies This image of the Milky Way,…

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA: Bringing Down a Bank Robber Stopped at a red light on a rainy, windy morning last December, fire battalion chief Mark DeBruyckere looked up to see a large truck barreling toward the intersection, heading right for him. Without so much as a pause at the red light, the speeding vehicle careened into two cars that were turning left in front of DeBruyckere. He flicked on the fire department radio to call in the accident. As dozens of cars sat idling at the busy intersection, DeBruyckere, 48, noticed something alarming: The truck’s driver, a tall man wearing a backpack, had gotten out of the vehicle and was attempting to carjack one of the cars. As the man tried to open door after door, DeBruyckere jumped out of his SUV…

A millionaire, a hard hat, and a cheapskate are at a bar. When they get their beers, they notice a fly in each mug. The millionaire politely asks the bartender for another beer, then sips the new one. The hard hat spills out just enough to get rid of the fly and quaffs the rest. It’s now the cheapskate’s turn: He sticks his hand into the beer, grabs the fly by the wings, and shouts, “Spit it out! Spit it out!” A man, shocked by how his buddy is dressed, asks him, “How long have you been wearing that bra?” The friend replies, “Ever since my wife found it in the glove compartment.” Did you ever notice that from the time you hang up the phone until the pizza guy…

1 Every coach says, “I don’t have favorites.” But we do. They’re the ones who show up to practice on time and work hard. 2 Your child doesn’t want you to be an expert in his sport. I believe a big reason lacrosse has become so popular is that the kids know their parents don’t understand the game, so all Mom and Dad can do is watch the match. 3 If your kid gets cut from one team, encourage him to participate in something that doesn’t have cuts, like track or cross-country. It’s a great way to get in shape for other sports, and a lot of kids end up loving it. 4 We put in at least 20 hours a week as coaches in addition to other full-time jobs.…

For expectant parents in Finland, their “bundle of joy” isn’t just the baby. Since 1938, new mothers and fathers have received a cardboard box, often used as the baby’s first crib, filled with a small mattress, blankets, infant clothes, outerwear, toiletries, and more. The Finnish government supplies the boxes, saying the gift encourages good parenting habits and aims to give all children an equal start. Some experts think that the starter kit has even helped Finland achieve one of the world’s lowest infant-mortality rates. Before the tradition began, when many Finnish babies slept in their parents’ beds, 65 out of 1,000 babies died each year. Since the introduction of the box—and the custom of having babies sleep separately from their parents—Finland’s infant-mortality rate has plummeted to only 3.4 deaths for…