There was this one time a complete stranger did some really shitty stuff that affected me and my children in life-changing and permanent ways. This person behaved in the most cruel, self-centered, classless way a person can behave and seemed to take great pleasure in doing so. To protect my family, I asked this person … Continue reading Growth, Change, and Shitty People

Tonight we went out to the beach so our dear friend could take my daughter's senior pictures. I've known this friend since WE were in high school, so it was a bit surreal to watch her snap the photos. As I watched them talk and laugh and accomplish their goal, I was reminded yet again … Continue reading Butterfly

See this? This is the view I woke up to this morning.  I am sitting on a couch in a condo rental on the beach with a steaming hot cup of strong coffee, watching the sun rise up and over my hometown. From where I'm sitting, I can see all the way to the downtown … Continue reading Morning Coffee

You know how when you're in certain places or with certain people you get a sense of calm and peace? These are the people and places that are good for your soul. They are what you need more of in your life.  I have always felt a sense of peace when I'm near the water. … Continue reading Exhale

If I love you, it sticks for me. It doesn't matter if you're family or friends. Once I've given you a piece of my heart, it's pretty much always yours.  Some of my heart-pieces are shiny and new. Others are polished to a sheen from years of care and friendship. Some have been dropped, shattered, … Continue reading Pieces

There were times that your heart was so full of joy you thought it might burst, your smile so big your cheeks cramped up. The feelings of love and happiness filled you up like a hot air balloon and sent you off over the tree tops, floating high above the ordinary. Then there were dark … Continue reading Pep Talk

It is not only OK, but also very necessary, that you sometimes choose yourself. That’s going to be a novel concept to many people. Being a professional excuse-maker, red flag over-looker, and people pleaser sometimes serves us because we’re doing those things for people who appreciate them. But oftentimes, we end up getting burned.   … Continue reading Choose Yourself

A moving truck is parked next door, and it's making me sad. We bought this house back in 2001 when our daughter was just 18-months-old and still carrying around her singing Barney doll. Our next-door-neighbors, Bill and Susie, still had the last of their 5 children - a senior in high school at the time - … Continue reading Neighbors

Navigating middle age is almost as tricky as puberty, y’all. It’s like I blinked, and shit just got crazy. My hair is turning white, my hormones are whacked out, my laugh lines are deepening. This isn't throwing me into a tailspin (yet!) because I know there is so much more to me than how I look. This 48-year-old … Continue reading In the Middle