The other day I made a list of the things I do daily, several times a week, and weekly. The list was fairly long. I was feeling overwhelmed, and thought that a list might bring more organization to my life. It also got me thinking about the role of mother that I play in my Read More
Category: Growth
Sobriety: Land of the Free, Life of the Brave
We spent my birthday, also the Fourth of July, at the beach. I grew up near the beach but now live about 2.5 hours away, so there are times I only visit the ocean once a year or so. Each time, I am transported to my happy place; a full sensory experience. The waves are Read More
Not Buying What They’re Selling
I celebrate another trip around the sun on the 4th of July; I’ll be 46. The process of me moving through my 40s, what I consider middle age, combined with the experience of me getting sober is causing a lot of reflecting and assessing. It invites me to think about the world I see around Read More
Don’t Lose Your Balance
For most of my life, I’ve struggled to achieve balance. I’m always somewhere outside of centered, sometimes far off and sometimes just missing the mark. I can visualize the perfect day, the perfect month, the perfect rhythm, but putting the picture into practice is always elusive. If one area of my life is running smoothly, Read More
Your Thoughts Are Not Orders
I’ve spent the most part of this week taking care of a puppy and tapping into the patience reserve that exists to care for the very young and very old. Yes, we added a new member to the household, a 10-week-old Westie, to complement our 4-year-old dog of the same breed. It may have something Read More
I Know in My Heart
There’s a difference between telling yourself something, and knowing it. My brain, and I venture to guess yours too, offers a steady stream of commentary to either pay attention to, or reject. Thoughts about things I observe, how I feel, what I think I want. Most of it nonsense, really. This is also the commentary Read More
What’s Your Motivation?
The world is opening up again, and with that comes activities, events and obligations. Enter the busy life. I love this quote by James Clear on crafting your schedule. “Saying no saves you time in the future. Saying yes costs you time in the future. No is like a time credit. You can spend that Read More
I Don’t Need a Day
Mother’s Day is a few days away, and here’s the status: I have yet to hear from my father or sister regarding plans for my mom (the next day is also her birthday), my two sons will be at an out of town volleyball tournament, and my husband’s siblings have invited him (singular) to lunch Read More
Here is Everything
This week, I lived. Living consisted of teaching, being a parent, and a wife. Running a house, helping a friend, caring for my dog. Exercise, dentist appointments, rapid-Covid-19 tests, high school volleyball games, coffee, and books. Riding the wave from sleepy Monday morning, to exhausted Friday afternoon. Nothing life-changing, or earth-shaking, but I’m so glad Read More
Sobriety: It’s All in Your Head
Lately, I find myself thinking about thinking. How very metacognitive of me. More precisely, I am thinking about how sobriety is largely a change in thinking patterns. Put simply: It’s all in your head. Sobriety is overwhelmingly a mental transformation. In fact, the only physical action involved is non-action, or the act of not ingesting Read More