Last fall, my daughter, Jess, started working as a behavioral tech with kids who have autism. She began sharing stories of how she empathized with her charges. Not pitied, not sympathized but truly empathized about stims, melt downs, preferred and non-preferred behaviors, difficulty socializing, etc. Her empathetic response led her to connect what she observed … Continue reading Push

Four months later... Hey, how are you? Really, how are you? I am better. Better than a month ago, better than a few months ago. I attempted writing a post in April a few times but deep in lockdown, I didn't have the brain space to pull together more than a couple of paragraphs. A … Continue reading Better

Long time, no post. I've been writing but the landscape is changing so quickly that unless I posted that day or even that minute, what I wrote was irrelevant. I wrote about my eldest daughter dropping out of college for the second time. My advice to her: Let go of the "shoulds" and do with … Continue reading Relevance

"Before assisting others, put your oxygen mask on first." I heard this on the flight back from a women's retreat. I had been thinking about the phrase specifically on how it relates to women. We are often caregivers and mistakenly prioritize helping others put on their oxygen mask first. Worse yet, we might even insist … Continue reading Oxygen

I caught up with a good friend today. Last week, one of her children received a No when she was desperately hoping for a Yes. I don't care how old you are: when your future hangs on a yes, it hurts to receive that no. A door closes and we are left standing on the … Continue reading Doors

You know that moment when you click back into yourself? Maybe you've felt out of sorts or disconnected or generally discombobulated (a fav word) and suddenly, you just fit again within yourself. It happened this morning while out for a walk. I made the turn for home and felt it. I felt myself realign followed … Continue reading Lift

Early in January 2019, I wrote in my journal that a sea change was coming. A sea change is defined as "a profound or notable transformation." I thought that because I was ending some things (marriage, a family structure, part time work) that I was near the beginning of a new journey. Little did I … Continue reading Sea Change

To my children’s significant others and friends, Thank you for saying hi to me the other day. I sensed you were nervous and just maybe it took a major effort to walk or look my way. I want you to know that because my child cares about you, I care about you too. I wish … Continue reading Moms

As I mentioned last week, I'm dating someone. We met online and things have progressed from get-to-know-you texting to meet for a drink to go out for dinner. Here's the thing: dating now (with kids, middle-aged, post divorce, you name it) leads me to feel three different ages at once. I feel 17 with the … Continue reading Ages

It’s blog post night. I typically write blog post drafts during the week and then refine and post on Thursday. This week, I‘m on my third possible post, each on a completely separate topic. It’s that kind of week. I wrote on Monday night about seeing someone. That’s right. I’m dating someone and still getting … Continue reading IRL