I drive by our town’s carnival and feel the tug. I smell the popcorn and hear the tinny music. I see families, teenagers, and the elderly making their annual pilgrimage. Memories take me back. And that’s when I realize this event has seen me through six major life stages… The Small Child – At 5, […]
Have you ever had the urge to get away by yourself? Just luxuriate in your own company? I recently spent a weekend alone, which was…okay…incredible. And afterwards, I realized it helped in 8 vital ways… First, I didn’t have to go far. I travelled thirty minutes to a beautiful seaside inn on Long Island Sound. I had a lovely view of […]
The other day I was in my neighborhood grocery store when I encountered a tall, middle-aged African-American man stocking shelves. He had a cart full of product and part of it blocked my way. I looked at him, smiling, saying, “Excuse me.” He turned and gazed at me, his eyes hard, face tight and unsmiling. […]
Ever know you shouldn’t do something, but do it anyway? This happened to me recently when I happened to walk by my son watching a spooky movie about a possessed, haunted doll. I knew not to sit down. I’d remember that doll’s evil black eyes…and the way she could make her rocking chair move at […]
Lately I’ve had trouble shutting out the world. I’ve been longing to escape my over-fed, too-busy brain, this brain that can’t stop THINKING. Each day I’m bombarded with not only my problems, but the planet’s. I’m hooked into too many devices with too much multi-tasking. Yet the other day, I happened to watch a video […]
Dr. Christiane Northrup was on PBS recently–vivacious, intelligent, and fascinating as ever. She’s a wonderful role model, full of advice about growing older, especially for women. However, one thing she said perplexed me. “Never tell people your age,” she advised her audience. “Don’t celebrate your birthdays, even the milestones. Society will foist cultural conditioning on […]
If character is defined by what we do, I’m in trouble. Yes, I perform some worthwhile, productive services here and there, but so much is spent on time-wasting drivel. Sometimes I wonder how much better, healthier, and smarter I’d be if I gave up a few of the following…. Spending too much time on Facebook – Between actual friends, […]
I became a journal keeper by accident. I was 30 years old, sitting in a windowless cubicle at work, unhappy. My in-box was piled with two feet of paper, layouts, project folders, and message slips. The phone rang incessantly. I had to do something fast. I considered walking out the front door when I spotted a white stenographer’s notebook. I picked […]
This will be my 36th Christmas as a married woman and I have to admit, ten years ago I was resentful. This holiday was all about material stuff and deadlines and ornaments and work. Then I smartened up. Now I know women who love this holiday and do it to perfection. Their homes would make […]
I love anything that helps me look at life differently. The other day I happened to catch spiritualist Deepak Chopra on television and heard him ask his audience three questions. I listened and became fascinated. They were deceptively simple… #1: What is your full name? I thought to myself, this is easy. Deepak explained this […]
