There are three extremely important things that most of us want this holiday season.  Wait – scratch that.  We don’t just want them for Christmas, or Hanukkah, our birthday or any day in particular.  We want them any and every day that we can get them.  They are coveted more than money.  They are desired…

Is there such thing as a gift given without a string attached?  Or do we always, on some level, give of our time, energy or money with a little expectation of receiving something in return? That was the question that the popular sit-com Friends tried to answer through the struggles of one of the main…

I often read posts on Facebook that start out with this qualifier:  “I don’t usually post about politics, but…”  A news story hit someone and they felt compelled to stray from their usual cute kitty or delicious food posts and weigh in on the subject.   They felt compelled to comment – but they also felt…

So far on my quest to find self-acceptance through the writing of this blog, I’ve been struck by two surprising realizations.  The first realization is that the more I accept other people for who they are, the more I like and accept myself.  Now, I’m learning a little about something that seems like a contradiction: …

Tragedies can happen at any time, and yesterday, my community was hit with one.  A 36-year-old mother and her 3- and 5-year old sons were found deceased after being reported missing just over a day earlier.  Though details are still emerging, the police are categorizing the tragedy as a murder/suicide and reports say that depression…

Do you ever find yourself making a case for a decision you’ve made about your life, in order to justify your decision to other people that may or may not even care?  I often find myself doing just that, and it’s been holding me back from confidently accepting my choices.  It also makes me apologize…

The month of gratitude is upon us, and I would be absolutely remiss if I didn’t take a moment to thank you, dear readers, for the gift of your readership.  Your time and energy are precious and I’m humbled by the time you’ve spent on this little blog of mine.  I feel it’s only fair…

“What a pretty sweater on a crummy day.  The color looks great on you!” I said to the sweet school secretary wearing a sunny yellow sweater on the first day of snow. “This old thing?” she replied, waving my compliment away.  “It was the only thing I had clean.” I laughed politely, but it wasn’t really…

When I was a little Brownie, my troop (shout out to Troop 308!) held an induction ceremony to become an official Girl Scout.  I remember spinning around, and being told to walk over to a mirror on the floor as I recited these words:  “Twist me and turn me and show me the elf, I…

Are we judged based by the company we keep?  Did Hillary Clinton lose the 2016 Presidential race in part because of the actions of her husband and advisers?  Am I judged on the actions of the people I surround myself with? Maybe I am.  And that’s kind of scary. We live in a toxic world. …

I have cleaned out and organized a lot of drawers and cupboards in my 39 years, but when I started my latest cleaning project I really had no idea how much it would change me.  I knew it would make my house less cluttered; I certainly didn’t realize it would bring such peace and harmony…

“Oreos, or candy corn?”  I asked Huck, my three-year-old, as I was packing his school lunch.  I was following the popular advice given to parents of toddlers by giving the precocious little guy a choice, and therefore empowering him on some level (or so they say). Without a moment’s hesitation, he replied, “Oreos AND candy…