Are You Enough?

Mary Claire Striking a Pose

A while back, I stumbled upon the beautiful Jennifer Pastiloff. It seemed every other post I saw was about her, her Manifest-Station site, or one of her writing/yoga retreats. I was drawn to her positivity, her exuberance, her spirit, and that gorgeous mane of hair. She published a couple of my incredibly personal pieces on […]

The Quiet

Lucy Sleeping

My washing machine is loud. I think, maybe, she’s grown louder over the years as she turns and chugs and does her thankless job. Perhaps she’s complaining a bit about the endless work of cleaning stains, of rinsing detergent. I’ve gotten louder, too, as I’ve aged. I huff and puff when I walk, my ankles […]

Caring for Ourselves Looks a Lot Like Caring for Others

The Essence of Life

“Hello… is it me you’re looking for? Cause I wonder where you are, and I wonder what you do…” That’s one of my favorite cheesiest-of-the-cheesy love songs. Lionel was an 80s fixture for me, for sure. Now that song will be stuck in your head all day. “And I want to tell you so much… […]

It Can Wait

Sam

I have a dear friend who is also a high-powered business woman. She is a smart, savvy, successful entrepreneur who closes multi-million dollar deals one minute, leads a national women’s organization the next, and hosts glittering, fun-filled parties in her exquisitely decorated home that evening. She is amazing and inspiring in innumerable ways. She also […]

Action Reaction

The Boys

Sam wrecked our Tahoe Friday night. He had six of his friends in the car, and they were coming home from a high school football game in a neighboring town. Thirty-one days ago, he totaled his own car. Both accidents were his fault. Receiving that late night phone call is heart-stopping. The first questions, of […]

From Boy to Man

Sam

Hey, World! I’d like to introduce you to your newest adult. Statistically, the United States alone is celebrating 12,000 new adults today (give or take a few), but I happen to know one of them pretty personally. After all, he lived right next to my heart for nine months. Here are eighteen things I can […]

Rules for Dating My Daughter

Mary Claire

One thing I love about Facebook is keeping up with friends, relatives, and old neighbors that I no longer get to see on a regular basis. I especially enjoyed scrolling through the shots of all my kids’ former friends dressed up for Homecoming this past weekend. But one gave me pause. Well, not the picture […]

The Trouble with Teens

Chris and the Kids on a Segway Tour

Whenever I mention that I have three teenagers and one on the precipice, I tend to get responses like, “Whoa” and “Good luck with that” and “Better you than me.” It surprises me, really, this attitude toward today’s teenagers. I’ve heard and read it over and over again: They’re lazy. They’re entitled. They’re unaccountable. They […]

Feeding the Family

Dinner in a Crockpot

I’m making dinner tonight. This may not seem like a great and noble feat to many of you, but then, you’ve probably never been subjected to my mad culinary skills (or lack thereof). Chris has to mold the minds of his grad students this evening, so it’s my turn to make dinner. Normally when it’s […]

Turn, Turn, Turn

My Other Ex Publication Day

Yesterday was the release of My Other Ex: Women’s True Stories of Leaving and Losing Friends. It’s a beautiful collection, penned by many gifted writers. What an honor it is to share these pages with them. I’ve been so privileged to be included in two inspiring 2014 anthologies. My cup runneth over. Of course, as […]