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chomping noises. So I never take hugs for granted.
    And later, when you are older, when I am no longer able to lift you up and feel your little arms around my neck, I will not be sad. Instead, I will look forward to each new hug from you, allow myself to feel it and enjoy it and love it every bit as much as I felt and enjoyed and loved your hugs when you were a little girl.
    And above all, I will hug you back.

 
Holiday Parties
     
    No matter how many company holiday parties I go to, I never feel completely at ease. Fact is, you’re essentially being asked to socialize with people you normally try to avoid.
    Also, I have to confess to what may be inappropriate thoughts. For example, I begin to fantasize that our new intern might not mind if I were to catch her under the mistletoe. Or I imagine that this would be the perfect time to tell the president about my ideas for restructuring the company—which naturally include a promotion for me.
    Of course, I know in my heart such actions would be inappropriate. But at the time, when one is caught up in the spirit of the holidays, such things seem not only appropriate, but logical. It’s as if smooching with interns and schmoozing with the president are things I should have been doing all along.
    Fortunately, not all my thoughts are so deplorable. I also find myself complimenting some of the people I genuinely enjoy working with. There’s something about the holiday season that forces you to search your soul for nice things to say—especially if someone catches you off guard and says something nice to you first. Unfortunately, I don’t always have something nice to say about some of the people I work with. Which makes me really appreciate the people I can say something nice about.
    All too often, I receive a compliment and find myself responding with something innocuous like, “Thank you, Earl. I enjoyed working with you on that direct mail piece, also.” And while I suppose that’s better than nothing, I enjoy it much more when I can say sincerely, “You’re a good person, Fred. I’m glad we work together.”
    Of course, I then find myself wondering why I never complimented that particular person during the course of the year.
    So in order to safeguard against career - ending miscues at the holiday party—and at the same time, to help encourage appropriate behavior throughout the rest of the year—I have two suggestions. Use these to guide your actions during the holiday season and throughout the year:
    1. If it seems inappropriate in July, it’s probably still inappropriate in December. White beards and Santa suits notwithstanding, you should keep your hands out of your coworker’s stockings.
    2. If it seems appropriate during the holidays, you should probably try doing it throughout the rest of the year. I appreciate it when someone tells me at the holiday party that they like working with me. But my best friends are the ones who have a kind word to say in the dog days of July or August.
    Follow these two rules of thumb, and you’ll come to be known as a decent and much valued coworker. You’ll also get invited to a lot more holiday parties.
     
     

 
The Difference Between Men and Women
     
    My sister called me for advice. She said “hello” to a guy at work, and now he keeps pestering her for a date. “I was just being friendly,” she said.
    “That’s the difference between men and women,” I told her. “Women are friendly; men are obsessed.”
    I hate to sound so cynical, but it’s true. Many otherwise intelligent and worldly women don’t seem to understand that if you make eye contact with a guy, he thinks you want to sleep with him. If you smile at him, he thinks you really want to sleep with him. And if you actually talk to him or laugh at one of his jokes... you don’t want to know what he’s thinking.
    It might sound like you’re just telling him that you want to use the copier. Or that he has mustard on his chin. Or maybe you’re just a