Just Doing Life
A Peace Plan for the Holidays
The holidays are magical. And by magical, I mean a seasonal circus that can leave us feeling half-Grinch, half-George Bailey. As moms we exhaust ourselves trying to create memories our families will cherish forever, while simultaneously trying not to lose our...
Hangxiety Happens: A Therapist’s Guide to Understanding It
I heard a new term recently from a very hip Gen Z. HANGXIETY. Of course they came up with a word that’s both clever and painfully accurate. Hangxiety is the combo of hangover and anxiety. It’s the mental and physical disruption that hits when the alcohol wears off...
A Job About Nothing, Taught Me About Everything
My first job-job was at Video Biz, a movie rental store tucked between a Mervyn’s and a dry cleaner in my hometown strip mall. I say job-job because before that, I’d done the usual teenage hustle—babysitting, working in the high school office, and picking up odd...
Choose Wisely
Last week I injured my neck- the kind of pain that takes your breath away. My husband sat with me while I cried. He massaged my shoulders, ran to the pharmacy, set up supplies next to the couch, bought a heating pad, asked the trainers at work how to help, and...
Love In Motion
The older I get, and the more I watch my kids navigate their own friendships, the more I realize how smart their generation is. They see things we sometimes forget. Recently, while at dinner for Family Weekend, one of my daughter’s besties said something that...
The Homesick Month
It’s October, and that means pumpkin candles, leaves turning color, and Halloween decorations on the porch. But if you’re a parent who just launched a kid to college, October also means something else — the homesick month. After the excitement of move-in day fades...
Why Does My Teenager Hate Me?
Recently, a woman approached me and asked a question I think so many moms quietly carry: “Why does it sometimes feel like my daughter hates me? She’s 16 and we used to be so close. Now, she’s mean and doesn’t like me.” I looked at her face; her eyes were holding...
Sister, I See You
Sister, I see you. I see all that you are doing. I see all those you are caring for. I see all you are juggling. I see all you manage. I see the ways you show up. I see the moments you make special. I see it all. Whether you’re a mother, daughter, wife, sister, or...
Where Is Our Humanity?
Lately it feels as if every day brings another disturbing headline. I find myself concerned, worried, baffled — and, most of all, deeply sad. We are no longer who we used to be. Just last week, I spoke on the news about the violent images our young people are...
Bleacher Sisters
We met under stadium night lights, often sitting on cold metal bleachers and wearing team colors. We shared rides, warm blankets, and pregame nerves. We shared tears when the scoreboard didn’t go our way, and when it did, we cheered like it was the Super...
