Put It on My (Never) To-Do List

There’s nothing better than that feeling you get from placing a check mark next to a completed task, or crossing out an item in heavy ink, or filling in that circle that was drawn to the left of a tedious chore. Whatever you use to mark the accomplishment, there’s something uniquely satisfying about making that […]

Read more "Put It on My (Never) To-Do List"

When the Advice Givers Bum You Out

There’s nothing more satisfying than reading writing advice from someone who has something truly wonderful to share. Conversely, there’s nothing more disheartening than someone, posing as an “authority” on writing, sharing his/her deep and penetrating wisdom on “the craft” which is riddled with grammatical errors and sloppy information. Today, I attended a helpful seminar on […]

Read more "When the Advice Givers Bum You Out"

If you think you’re too busy to read this, then you’re exactly who should . . .

More and more, we are encouraged to be present, mindful, and engaged. Some of us regard this as nearly impossible. We have lots of commitments, lots of tasks, and lots of people relying on us. Allowing ourselves a few minutes to “just be” seems like an indulgence. (If you’ve gotten this far, I’m confident you’ll […]

Read more "If you think you’re too busy to read this, then you’re exactly who should . . ."

What Have We Done?

Yesterday, I stood in solidarity with close to three hundred students, ranging in age from 12 to 18. I was there to show my support for their non-violent, social activism. Because my 10-year-old son’s school was not planning a “walk out,” I brought him to be with his older three siblings after he had expressed […]

Read more "What Have We Done?"

What Are We Teaching Our Boys?

A while ago, I shared my thoughts about the cultural acceptance of fathers controlling their daughters, but really, controlling their vaginas. As offensive as that paternalistic behavior is, it appears that in some families, the sexist clamp around a girl’s sexuality is controlled by an older brother or two. Take for example this description I […]

Read more "What Are We Teaching Our Boys?"

What’s That Like?

When I travel to see my sister on the other side of the country, I always get an aisle seat. The fear of  blood clots killing me–were I to not get up every hour or so–make an aisle seat both necessary and thoughtful of my row mates. On my last trip, I met a woman–trapped […]

Read more "What’s That Like?"