Jul 19, 2022Magic Mom“Are you cold?” “Are you lonely?” “Do you need more friends?” These are all things I’ve asked my kids, at one time or another. They are my feeble way of trying to preemptively solve problems. To be Magic Mom and right wrongs before they happen. But whose “wrong” are we…Faith And Life2 min readFaith And Life2 min read
Jul 16, 2022Here’s How to Know When to Let GoHow do you know when it’s time to let go — of a specific outcome, a dream, a job, a relationship? This past Fourth of July weekend, I sat with a group of friends, both old and new, and we got to talking about letting go. Well, sort of. …Letting Go5 min readLetting Go5 min read
Jul 15, 2022The Real Cost of Always Being in a HurryTime was quickly running out, and I did not want to be late. My all-important public image depended on it. …Shame6 min readShame6 min read
Jul 14, 2022Missed Conxns: Near-Death Concert ExperienceDear blue-shirted stranger, It’s me. The slightly sunburned woman in the spicy-hot-mustard-yellow dress two seats down from you at last night’s Khruangbin concert. For at least three hours, we jammed out side by side — you in your backwards baseball cap and me with my endless thigh sweat stains. Summers…Making Friends4 min readMaking Friends4 min read
Jul 13, 2022When Life Feels Scary, Here’s What’s TrueSome days, I just want someone to tell me I’m doing a great job and everything’s gonna be okay. Then make me lunch with a fruit roll-up and a little post-it love note tucked inside. …Adulthood5 min readAdulthood5 min read
Jul 12, 2022Secret Keys to Transforming FailureAt the ripe old age of 28, I started a mediation business. Having recently earned a Master’s Degree in Conflict + Dispute Resolution from the University of Oregon, I wanted to “get out there” and start helping the world. My idea: help partners communicate better as parents. I made a…Failure3 min readFailure3 min read
Jul 12, 20223 Baby Steps to a More Joy-Filled CareerWhen I arrived at college, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I knew two things for sure: I wanted to be a businesswoman, and I would surely find my future husband. (Because that’s the sorta thing an 18-year-old Bible Belter dreamt about back then. Spoiler alert: I didn’t). I didn’t become a…Joy4 min readJoy4 min read
Jun 29, 2022Your Job Is Not Your Purpose- This IsPaul made his living as a tent maker. Jesus as a carpenter. Nobody remembers them specifically for these things. There’s an important message here for folks who believe that if you can’t make your passion your profit-maker, you’re failing. I encounter this sort of thinking constantly, especially around the entrepreneurial…Finding Purpose3 min readFinding Purpose3 min read
Oct 28, 2021Family, Why Bother?It’s eerie how often I’ve heard this lately. In fact, these exact words (rhetorical, I’m presuming) spilled from the mouth of a close friend after recounting a recent fallout with a sibling. “Family… why bother?” Having just returned from a trip to visit my folks in Tennessee (an 8–10 hour…Faith And Life5 min readFaith And Life5 min read
Aug 23, 2021Proof of Life: Ode to Lizards in My CoffeeA machete. Two brand new pillows. A coffee pot. A freezer full of ice. All that finger-wagging and nay-saying from fellow ex-pats about befriending the Tico folk; we still insisted on leaving behind our most precious commodities for local friends “Rasta” Wilson, his wife, and their baby boy. It was…Mwc Reentry4 min readMwc Reentry4 min read