The American Dream may include cruising down the highway in your own car, but many people prefer alternative means of getting from point A to point B. Whether it’s mass transit or human-powered modes of travel, these essayists have come to believe in the unique ways they move around town.

1. Bus Chick’s Manifesto
2. Commuting by Bike
3. A Daily Dose of Walking
4. Born to Bike
5. Seeing the World by Sidewalk

The official start of spring is this week, and for some in the U.S., it can’t come too soon. The vernal equinox not only marks a change in the seasons, but a transition in life as the dormancy of winter gives way to life blooming anew. Click the links below to read how these essayists are inspired by the coming of spring.

1. Beauty for Everyone
2. Hope Arrives on the Wind
3. The Dawn of a New Season
4. The Most Wonderful Rite of Spring
5. The Annual Cycle That Is Life

Some say the secret to being a good friend is to be a good listener. But beyond friendship, being a good listener is essential in other relationships, both personal and professional. In honor of Listening Awareness Month, listen carefully to what these essayists have to say about being a good listener.

1. Listening Is Powerful Medicine
2. Listening Shows Me the Way
3. Learning to Listen
4. Listening To Silence
5. Beyond the Noise

It’s National Foreign Language Week, a time when American high schools, colleges, and universities celebrate and recognize the importance of learning languages other than English. For some, the goal of learning a new language is to satisfy a grade in school. But for the essayists below, learning other languages changed their world.

1. Yankee Go Home
2. Urdu—A Key to Another World
3. The Magic in Letters
4. Saying Thank You
5. It’s a Small World
6. I Believe in Sesame Street

It was Longfellow who said “Into each life some rain must fall.” But sometimes we must endure more than just one bad day; there are true setbacks and obstacles that block our life’s path. The following essayists have found that sometimes significant challenges turn out to be opportunities in disguise.

1. My Grandmother’s Dicho
2. Feeding a Hunger
3. The Strange Blessing That Brought Me Home
4. Joy Cometh in the Morning
5. My Father Told Me I Was Fat

There must be something special about a kiss. Painters paint them, sculptors sculpt them, and poets write about them. Whether it’s a sweet peck on the cheek, the kiss of young love, or the passionate embrace of romantic love, the kiss endures in our memories. Click the links below to learn how these writers feel about a kiss.

1. Swing-shift Kisses
2. The Love I Choose
3. Gray Hairs and Wrinkles
4. Here’s to You, Merrie
5. Mwa
6. I Believe in a Good Kiss

Laura Ingalls Wilder was born this week 151 years ago. And yet, her Little House stories of life on the prairie are timeless in their appeal. Click the links below to read how these essayists have been inspired by the life and stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

1. Tell Me a Story
2. The Love I Choose
3. We All Need a Good Story
4. Saviors

Nearly one-third of all school-aged children are bullied in America each year, and statistics show those who have been bullied suffer lower grades, self-esteem, and self-confidence. For the essayists below, being bullied—or even witnessing bullying—became a springboard for change in their lives.

1. We Are Each Other’s Business
2. Make This World a Better Place
3. Beauty Is More Than Just Skin and Eyes
4. Sticks and Stones
5. Political Bullies: You Don’t Scare Me

There are numerous times in life that we aren’t quite sure what actions to take and which path is best for us. Jiminy Cricket would say the way to make life decisions is to let your conscience be your guide. Whether making life-changing decisions or frivolous choices, see what these essayists gained from listening to their inner voices.

1. A Grace of Silence
2. To Hear Your Inner Voice
3. Trusting the Small Still Voice
4. That Little, Inner Voice
5. Listening to the Hippos

Next Monday, we honor a great man who worked for racial equality and civil rights. To honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we offer the following essays by people who have been influenced and inspired by Dr. King’s work and words.

1. Standing Up for What Is Right
2. The Power of Words
3. Dr. King’s Dream
4. This Is Our Mountaintop
5. Singing the Dream