Self Care
Proud to Say I’ve Had Multiple Marriages
I’m coming clean: I’ve had multiple marriages. When I first met my husband, we were young—naive about love but passionate about our future. Life was full of hope, and everything felt possible. Our relationship was easy because life was simple. Then came the...
A 21st Birthday, A Mother’s Heart, and the Power of Adventure
The invitation to join my daughter in Italy for her 21st birthday brought so much more than I ever imagined. It brought the joy of checking things off my bucket list—like seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night, attending mass at Notre Dame, or cruising down the...
Decisions are More Important Than Directions
My daughter, almost a senior in college, asked my advice on something this weekend. My answer was simple. “I trust you to make the right decision for yourself and support whatever you do”. Of course I had an opinion, but when our kids get older it’s important to...
Full Stop or Pay The Price
I got a traffic ticket this week. Ugh!! It’s my first one in over 20 years and it stings. Apparently I came to a rolling stop about two hundred yards from my home on a street I drive everyday. The nice officer who pulled me over told me I needed to come to a stop...
There is Power In a Pen
Thirty years ago I was at Macys picking out towels to add to my wedding registry when I mentioned that our once soft and plush towels were no longer so great. The employee, a “helper” (but grouchy from the beginning), curtly asked me if I used dryer sheets? I...
The Misunderstood Love Language
Every Christmas my husband writes me a poem. It’s cheesy and sentimental—a combination of humor and love. There’s no monetary value but it’s a priceless gift. It makes me feel loved. Almost everyone knows the 5 Love Languages theory. This idea that we express and...
The Unadorned Moments Are The Big Moments
“Life is amazing. And then it's awful. And then it's amazing again. And in between the amazing and awful it's ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary.” ~LR Knost I feel like I...
Flat is the New Pink
We define beauty. Society does not. This past weekend I went to the Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk put on by the American Cancer Society. It was inspiring to see survivors and those currently fighting breast cancer joined by their families and friends in...
Lessons Learned Around a Dining Room Table
I grew up in a small home but with big love. We didn’t have a formal dining room, rather a spot between the kitchen and family room where a space was created. My parents had a round oak table, barely big enough for the four of us, but because of the leaf we could...
Parenting Mom and Dad in the Sunset Years
Last Sunday I did my mom’s grocery shopping. We usually run her errands on Fridays but I was gone and had not seen her in a few days. I went to Safeway and then asked if she wanted me to grab her lunch too. We decided on sandwiches and she asked if I planned to...
