For the record, you should never do anything in front of children that you might find embarrassing when talked about in front of adults.
When we go on vacation, I like to hunt down the town’s best specialty bakery. I have a tendency to buy two flavors of cupcakes at a time because it just feels like too much pressure to ... Read More
If you spend any time giving thanks with other people this week, you’re going to run into a lot of things that make you feel less than thankful.
For instance, you create this fabulous dinner and then all the small children in the room ask if they can have chicken nuggets.
Or maybe one member of the family gets a little ... Read More
Every morning I patter out to the living room to turn on the tree. It’s on a timer along with the garland and lights wrapping the staircase railing. In the evening, they light up on their own, but in the morning, when it’s still dark and I’m still sleepy and not quite sure if the day will be a safe ... Read More
What if I told you there is a group of people who are going to accomplish 5,000 acts of kindness in just 15 days? Think it can be done?
What if I told you most of those people still live in their parents’ houses? And don’t have jobs? And wear “PAW Patrol” pajamas each night?
The people taking on this massive kindness ... Read More
People often ask me about maintaining their safety while pursuing a brave and kind life. How do we know if we’re supposed to give a homeless person money, or stop to help the car on the side of the road?
My answer might sound flippant, but I mean it sincerely: follow your heart. If your heart says “stop,” then stop. If ... Read More
There is a brave mom in my town who is a warrior. She never would have considered herself a warrior, but when it comes to our kids, we can often find strength we don’t know we have.
This mom has a son who was hating school. Now I don’t mean hating, I mean HATING. He would get physically ill before ... Read More
Can you remember what you got for your seventh birthday? How about your eighth? Ninth?
Maybe there’s one special present that stands out, but for me, it’s all pretty fuzzy.
It’s not the big celebrations or occasions that I remember from my childhood. My brain chooses to hold onto things that are much more random.
For instance, I remember when I was about ... Read More
There is something to be said about being in the right place at the right time. It feels fortuitous, almost like someone is watching out for us or that our interactions are predetermined.
But instead of hoping to be in the right place at the right time, I long to be more aware of my surroundings. I want to be attentive ... Read More
If it had rained one hot July day in 2011, I would not be writing this column.
If I had felt too tired by depression to take my kids to the city pool, I would not have a found my purpose.
If one teenage mom in a shiny gold bikini had been too proud to accept the money I offered, I would ... Read More
I think two might be my favorite age. Not for my own kids, but for other people’s kids.
When my children were two, I was caught up in diapers and crushed Goldfish crackers and constant laundry duty. Now, as a mom of school-age kids, I can sit back and see how adorable other people’s toddlers are, because I don’t have to ... Read More
