The Good Life

The other day, Maya brought up a recent book she was reading, Tribe. She explained how it addresses the loss of strong connections that war veterans experience when they return to civilian life. While this is a great generalization of what the book really encompasses, I couldn’t help but wonder what drew her to this topic. “Maya, I’m really impressed that you chose a book that doesn’t directly have anything to do with you.” “Everything has…

Maybe I’m a hopeless optimist, because I’m definitely a hopeless romantic, but I prefer to think of people as mostly good: trying to be good friends, trying to be good spouses, trying to be good co-workers, trying to be good neighbors, trying to be good parents. Sometimes the effect isn’t what was intended, but most people are trying to be good…and, trying to find happiness. But, it’s hard, right? It’s hard to know what the…

If you’ve ever been to a party at my house, you know the drill: don’t overthink it, just show up. Our guests’ job: Wear whatever you want. Bring something to share, or bring nothing at all. Open door policy: bring whoever will help you relax and have a good time. Show up when you can, leave when you’re ready. Be respectful of our neighbors with parking. Be open and eager to meet people that you…

We all know it. But, man, is it hard to remember sometimes that there are always 3 sides to every story. I try to always remember that whenever anyone is telling me a story: my kids, my husband, a friend, and everyone beyond and between. When Maya’s lacrosse team is dealing with some sort of drama that I hear about from my own daughter (whom I want to immediately assume is perfect and could never…

We all know and are generally open to the idea of not judging the people around us that date and marry the same sex, have a different ethnicity than us, make less money than we do, practice different religions, or choose to not have a family because they just, in all honesty, don’t really like kids. Then there are the extremes. There are certain populations of people that we almost find it acceptable to write…

I’m sitting beside Bode at his cavity filling this morning, watching him frantically squeezing the little squishy ball the nurse gave him for when he gets overwhelmed. I hear his little whimpers, trying to discern whether their from fear or pain. And, I feel the motherly anguish start to rush into the depths of my soul. I am so worried about him.  I’m worried that he’s scared, that they’re hitting a nerve in his tooth,…

It is because of our struggles that we are able to be the stronger versions of ourselves that we are today, not despite them. We have all seen the many faces of struggle, right? Past breakups with boy/girlfriends and full blown divorces. The death of parents, siblings, children, unborn babies, friends, and pets. Mental illness covering everything from depression to eating disorders to distorted body image. We’ve lost jobs, income, been robbed…both physically and emotionally. We’ve been…

In the same way that our cell phone is a distraction for us while driving a car, people can be distractions that keep us from attaining the things that we want out of life. Whether we’re trying to get a promotion at work, get rid of the stress that we feel throughout the day, or hitting a PR on a lift or workout, it’s important that we identify distractions in our lives and how to…

Dear Ben, I am speechless and full of an endless stream of thought all at one time.  10 years ago, I promised to…for the rest of my life…make you laugh until you cry, care for you when you are broken and ill, be your anchor when life feels like it’s ripping at the seams, devote myself to raising a family with you, challenge you to be better than you even know how to be, be…

I’m no expert on relationships, but I’m old enough to have a well-seasoned collection of my own observations. Observations of my own relationships, as well as those of others. And, one of the things I’ve seen act as a real test for people is this: open-heartedness.  Can the two people approach life with the other person open to change and adaptation, or are they guarding themselves in an effort to protect against potential harm or…