Category: inspiration
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Did Ashton Kutcher Get Punk’d?
“I wish I could give Ashton Kutcher an update,” I sometimes think. I wanted him to know when I started performing improv.And when I got married.And when I started writing a book.And when I was widowed. I mostly wanted him to know I was alive — but not in the way preteens long for their…
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Elevate
“Which do you prefer: the beach or the mountains?” “Oh, I’m definitely a beach person,” I answered with aplomb, despite having never been to the mountains. My family vacationed to the beach every summer, so I went with what I knew. The beach was familiar. The mountains were foreign. My answer was a reflex rather…
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Mental hodgepodge
You know how Jeopardy! has a “Hodgepodge” category? This post might be similar. Blogpodge? Sometimes I sit down to write with a specific idea in mind, and other times I figure it out as I go. Today there are several things bouncing around in my head, so I’m just gonna say ‘em. I have a…
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Join the Inspiration Parade!
Today is the first day of Creativity March! You’re probably thinking, “What is Creativity March?” I’ll tell you. Creativity March was born at a brewery (the birthplace of many good ideas) over dinner with my friend, Jennifer. The goal is to do something creative every day in March. Why? Creativity helps foster your sense of…
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The Solar Saga: Reflecting on my goals for the year
Remember how I set the intentions to be more Simple + Deliberate this year? If not, you’re already caught up to speed. Since it’s nearing the end of February, it seems like a good time to give an update — in the form of a story. I was returning home from a walk one afternoon…
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Me vs. Mind
My mind has always been my archnemesis. Right now we’re pretty civil, but that hasn’t always been the case. I remember sleepless childhood nights, consumed by worry about this and that. Add in adolescence and hormones and things only got worse. On the surface, life was relatively simple, but in my mind there were so…
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Simple + Deliberate
I get totally jazzed about the start of a new year, and I don’t care who knows it. Does that mean I’ll actually stay up until the clock strikes midnight? Probably not. But I’ll be excited to wake up with that clean-slate feeling on January 1, 2023. Plus, it’s a good time to reflect on…
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Celebrating Megan Rosemarie
In late October, I wrote a post about my friend, Megan, who passed away. Yesterday we celebrated Megan’s life, and I want to share what I said — along with a link to a memoir about her travels. Although the length of time I knew Megan pales in comparison to most of you, I also…
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A flight of imagination
I have a complicated relationship with airplanes. I was once headed to NYC for a work trip and had an awful asthma attack. I was gasping for air and couldn’t speak, so the woman next to me sought help from a flight attendant. “Ice,” I mouthed to her, knowing it helps soothe my throat. People…
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La mademoiselle Megan
When I met Megan, she was holding a box of donuts. It was March 2021, and we were standing in my parents’ driveway, leery of COVID-19. Megan had been at the doctor that morning for bloodwork, and she and her mom, Marcie, stopped by after with donuts to share. We originally connected on Instagram. After…
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I’m published!
I was embarrassed to admit I wanted to be a writer for a very long time. I was fearful of seeming unrealistic, for one, but putting my wish out into the universe also meant I could fail. I wasn’t thrilled about that thought, either. In recent years, though, I’ve realized I was only failing myself.…
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Remembering Ramón
I think we’ve all had the same pressing question lately: How do I live a life that’s so amazing they name a bridge after me? Just kidding. But, as we near next weekend’s bridge dedication ceremony and after-party, it’s really hitting me that Ramón is getting a freakin’ bridge named after him. In his relatively…
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Letting “them” go
I’ve always cared a bit too much about what other people think. For instance, I’ve been self-employed for more than five years, and I often work in pajama pants. Let’s say 2 o’clock rolled around and I wanted to check the mailbox. Some days I’d scamper to the mailbox and pray nobody saw me. Other…
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OMGlennon
I am here with a proclamation: I became one of Glennon Doyle’s biggest fans over the past 24 hours. I first heard her name a month after Ramón died. I visited a good friend, Alyssa, for coffee, and we were waxing philosophical—or trying, at least. Alyssa referenced a quote about pain Glennon recently posted online…
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A joyful heart
When I sit down to write something grief related, I occasionally feel a twinge of worry. I’m concerned that by continuing to document my experience people will assume that I’m stuck in a place of sadness. They’ll think that my grief is all-consuming, even debilitating. And though grief is quick to answer “Here!” during roll…