The Blog
Curiosity Before Certainty
Do you ever hear a word and suddenly it takes on a whole new meaning?That happened to me recently.Over the past few weeks, two of my daughters, in completely unrelated conversations, each used the same word to describe someone.Transactional.The first time, I nodded and moved on.The second time, I found myself wondering why that particular word…
Life is Rarely Just One Thing
Last Saturday, I sat down to watch the Wimbledon women’s final. I expected great tennis. What I didn’t expect was to find myself thinking about friendship, rivalry, courage, grief, and the quiet ways we inspire one another. By the end of the match, I wasn’t really watching tennis anymore. The Women’s final featured two young…
What We Really Lose When We Lose a Pet
Recently, a number of my friends have lost their beloved cats and dogs. Some of these pets lived 18 years. That’s a lifetime. When we think about raising children, they often live at home for about 18 years before heading off to college or building lives of their own. Many of us spend just as long…
What If You Had a Magic Wand?
If you had a magic wand, what three things would you change about your life right now? It sounds like a simple question. Almost playful. And yet, I’m always fascinated by how often people struggle to answer it. The response I hear most often? “I don’t know.” A therapist friend once said something that has…
Who Are You Becoming?
Yesterday, I noticed something blooming in my jacaranda tree. Not near the tree. In the tree. Months ago, I tucked what I assumed was a dormant orchid into the crook of the trunk after someone told me orchids often thrive when attached to trees. At the time, it looked like little more than a few leaves…
That Summer Feeling
There is something about summer that feels different. As a kid, it made perfect sense. School was out. The alarm clock was gone. Homework disappeared. Summer meant freedom. Later, as a parent, summer brought a different kind of relief. Fewer lunches to pack. Fewer carpools to coordinate. Fewer bedtime negotiations. The whole household seemed to…
Room at the Table
I haven’t written in several weeks, which is unusual for me. Life pulled me into a season of being more present than reflective. Over the last month, I experienced some beautiful family milestones. Moments of pride, celebration, and joy. Everything from anniversaries and birthdays to graduations. At the same time, there were people I love navigating pain,…
The Muscle Memory of Joy
This weekend, my husband and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary. Nothing fancy. No big plans. Just a lot of golf… and a lot of fun. It got me thinking about the evolution of life and relationships. We met playing tennis in our 40s, and here we are decades later, learning a completely new sport…
