3 simple words that helped Robert Frost stay resilient through a lifetime of anxiety and depression

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life."

By Emily Shiffer

Poet Robert Frost created inspiring poems that are beloved around the world. Frost was known for his simple yet deep style of poetry, and, although he didn't publish his first book until he was 40, he went on to earn four Pulitzer Prizes.

He created a body of work that continues to touch people. Yet, like many great artists, Frost struggled with his mental health throughout his life. (Frost was born in 1874 and died in 1963.) William & Mary English Professor and Frost biographer Henry Hart found that many of Frost's relatives struggled with schizophrenia as well as depression.

"Throughout his life, he struggled to fit in. His education was irregular, routinely disrupted when Frost dropped out after suffering attacks of anxiety and depression that expressed themselves in various physical ailments," notes the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

If you were a '90s kid, these mostly forgotten TV shows defined your sick days

"The results are in!"

By Ryan Reed

If you were home sick from school in the '90s, you likely didn't have much to do. Your friends weren't around, and you couldn't risk getting them sick anyway. And if you felt well enough to play video games or roam outside, your parents probably argued you had enough energy to sit through science class. That left one obvious option: sprawl out under the covers, thermometer in your mouth, belly full of crackers and Sprite, and watch whatever TV shows happened to be on.

This daytime programming might have felt like transmissions from an alien world. After all, you typically weren't even home to watch the game shows, soap operas, and talk shows that filled morning and early afternoon TV. Looking back now, many '90s kids feel a sparkly nostalgia for this retro entertainment, much of which has faded into the pop-culture rearview mirror, if not been forgotten entirely.

Here are five series that make adults of a certain age look back fondly on their "sick at home" days. (Disclaimer: We're not including The Price Is Right. It's the ultimate example—too obvious.)

I. Love. This.

Leonard Bernstein introduced a 7-year-old cello prodigy Yo-Yo Ma in 1962 and it's a must-watch

It was a beautiful celebration of immigration and art.

By Annie Reneau

Yo-Yo Ma is one of the most well-known professional cellists in the world, but many may not know that his fame began in his early childhood. When he was only seven years old, he was invited along with his 11-year-old sister to play live for sitting President John F. Kennedy and former President Dwight D. Eisenhower at "An American Pageant of the Arts" in 1962.

The purpose of the event was to raise funds for the National Cultural Center, which was started under Eisenhower's administration and encouraged under Kennedy's presidency. But what stands out in a resurfaced video of the event is the beautiful way composer Leonard Bernstein introduced the Mas.

In 1973, Karen Carpenter left Johnny Carson's audience in awe with a virtuoso singing and drumming medley

The talk show appearance turned into a legendary Carpenter's jam session.

By Tod Perry

Karen and Richard Carpenter were the king and queen of AM soft rock in the 1970s. They were billed as clean-cut, all-American kids, and their sound matched the vibe, with Karen's beautiful voice and Richard's lush arrangements. The duo had three number-one hits, and 12 top-ten singles in America, including "Top of the World," "We've Only Just Begun," and "(They Long to Be) Close to You."

 The group was unique because Karen both played drums and sang. It was rare for a woman to play the drums back in the 1960s and '70s, and even rarer for a band to have its drummer as the lead singer. As we'll see in a moment, Karen was exceptional as both a singer and a drummer. Karen started drumming in 1965 at Downey High School near Los Angeles, initially to get out of class, but she soon fell in love with playing the drums.

"That is such an overused line, but I started anyway," she said. "I picked up a pair of sticks, and it was the most natural-feeling thing I've ever done."