Late Sunday night, my husband walked through our front door for the first time in seven months. My daughter cried, and cried, jumping into his arms. The dog danced circles around him, full of puppy elation. My boys–his stepsons–stood around with the happy aloofness of teenagerhood. And I felt like the missing piece of me Read More
Category: Self Development
Holding On, Letting Go
Ah, Rumi…your words are an arrow that so often find their target at the center of my heart. These two concepts, Holding On and Letting Go, can be beneficial or brutal, depending on the degree and contents. If we hold on too much, or to the wrong things, we will surely encounter disappointment or pain. Read More
The Antidote for Wanting
My daughter really wants two things these days: her dad to come home and a Happy Napper. After seven months on a deployment that was supposed to last four, I am thrilled to report my husband is in fact coming home! This Sunday. So yes, Amelia, your daddy will be here soon. The Happy Napper Read More
My Own Outfit
One of the most significant choices we commit to in a life of sobriety is choosing ourselves over “the crowd.” Choosing our own wellbeing over fitting in. In my last few years of drinking, I tried sobriety on like an outfit I thought didn’t suit me. One of the big reasons I felt this way Read More
We Can Do Better
I published this article on Medium a few days ago and I thought I’d share it here. It is in response to America’s efforts to move forward out of this pandemic, and the shameful events that have come to pass since the cold-blooded murder of a black man by a white police officer. My heart Read More
The Gift of Self Knowledge
I haven’t been myself lately. I’ve slid off track. Started skipping the morning routine that always grounds me. Gobbling up the baked goods that I’ve been making far too often. Working up excuses not to work out. Opting to nap rather than write. These are red flags. Thoughts and behaviors that tell me I’ve veered Read More
The Gift of Peace
It is Memorial Day weekend in the United States. Instead of marking the day for what it was meant for, honoring men and women who died while serving in the military, the vast majority of Americans see it as the official start of the summer season. A time to take out their boats and other Read More
The Gift of Consistency
One of the things that hurts my heart about my drinking days is how it tended to bring out the worst in me. And how, as a result, my children were exposed to the worst me on a regular basis. The worst me wasn’t violent, but did tend to get emotional, snippy, angry, resentful, sad Read More
Holding Patterns
Holding Pattern: 1) The flight path maintained by an aircraft awaiting permission to land. 2) A state of waiting or suspended activity or progress. The world is engaging in different stages of emerging into life again. Some places have their feet still firmly planted in the sand. Others dipping a cautious toe into the water. Read More
Not Ideal
Sometimes, I have to take a step outside my brain and examine my line of thinking. My brain likes to think in ideals. Expectations of fairness and even favor on my part. When things go exceptionally poorly, I catch my inner voice crying out, waving its fist (yes, my inner voice has a fist!) in Read More