As snow starts to dust our rooftops, thoughts of shopping for the holidays are like subtle sugar plum fairies dancing in my head. The pandemic accelerated our rate of online shopping this year, and that trend will likely continue, but take a minute to consider what happens if we don’t support local. Also think about what will occur if we …
Letting go is liberating, and makes you feel lighter
There is a saying by an unknown author that goes: “The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let things go.” Considering this last month of my life, and that the trees in my backyard suddenly look like their tops were dipped in red and orange paint, I’m reflecting on this quote. Recently, I had to …
Winds of change blow hard this September
I am shocked that school is starting again in September. I am even more surprised that they have chosen to start classes earlier in the morning for my teens. Anyone with a teen knows that earlier in the morning does not work well for them. I’m currently grappling with what’s right for my family given the pandemic and I’m questioning …
Making most of time during pandemic
Staying at home during COVID-19, while challenging, offered opportunities for those of us who used the time wisely. When it all started, my teens had dreams of our time at home being an extended vacation. I told them that whatever this time was, we would make the best of it. I wrote up a guideline for our time, saying that …
You’re wonderful just the way you are
Life has been unkind to you as of late. I see that you are suffering and it hurts me to know that you are suffering. You don’t know what to do. Your thoughts spin. You see and feel the dark, the bad, the unfairness, and the hurt. You have every right to be hurt. You didn’t deserve this, but here …
Board/card games sure beat being glued to screen
As opposed to the standard New Year’s resolution column, I’m going with “What I did on my vacation?” In a nutshell, I was focused on maintaining eye-contact with my kids instead of all of our eyeballs being transfixed on electronics, which is, I suppose, resolution-like. For screens, my teens now both have cellphones, then there are the video game consoles, …
Bracing for blue Christmas no piece of cake
Silent Night brought me to tears today. Why? This is the first Christmas that I will spend alone. There is no special someone in my life. My children will be with their father. Frankly, I’m dreading the quiet. I’m far from unique in this situation. This is the reality of many singles, and widows, whether they are parents or not. …
Life 101: Joy is to be achieved, not stumbled upon
Will anyone ever feel like they’re caught up; even on top of things? Over and over, I hear people (especially mothers) saying how overwhelmed they are, how they feel like they are running a losing race. I get this. I feel this. I’ve even gone so far as to try to eliminate the word “overwhelmed” from my vocabulary, because it …
Keep door open for kids’ ‘difficult’ questions
When do you have “the” talk with your kids? What content do you include without overwhelming them? Is there a setting that makes it less awkward for everyone? Who should initiate it? It’s not like we can consult the parenting handbook/user manual we get when we have kids. Which talk is “the” talk anymore? It’s not just the birds and …
Only love can break your heart
There is a saying: “The depth of your love today is the depth of your wound tomorrow.” I feel this, deeply. In fact, I think it would be fair to say that I feel emotions deeper than most people. The great benefit of this is that I am very passionate about life and I tend to have amazing highs and …