Weathered, worn and still standing (with snacks)

January 24, 2026

Ever find yourself in other places in the world — or even just neighboring states — when the weather is not the best? Rain pouring down like the sky cracked open, snow blanketing the earth in that deceptively quiet way, or temperatures so frigid it doesn’t matter how covered you are, you’re still cold — even sitting in your own house. And in those moments, you catch yourself doing it. The observation. The comparison. The mild-to-severe judgment. How is it that this shuts everything down here? A little rain and schools are closed. A dusting of snow and grocery shelves are ...

Where the mind goes when life hits pause

January 17, 2026

I’ll start with a confession: I can absolutely be that person. You know the one. In “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood,” there’s a line where someone says she likes to chew on a problem until all the flavor is gone — and then stick it in her hair. That’s me. I will think something through from every possible angle, worry about it, analyze it, turn it over again, and then — just when you think I’m done — circle back for one more bite. There are also those people. The new parent who can’t have a conversation without narrating what their baby just did — or ...

When the real problem actually is me

January 10, 2026

No one hands you a guidebook for what comes after you tell people something big. There’s no flowchart. No suggested scripts. No “if this, then say that” instructions. What you get instead is a wide range of well-meaning responses that somehow all manage to feel slightly off. Not wrong — just … not quite right. I know this about myself because this isn’t new behavior. When my father passed away. When my grandparents passed away. I was terrible at receiving sympathy then, too. I never quite knew what to do with it. I still don’t. Give me logistics, tasks, next steps — ...

The email that I didn’t intend to send

January 3, 2026

If you’ve read this column for any length of time, you know this already: When I write, you are rarely getting the version of me that has everything neatly processed and packaged. You’re usually getting me mid-thought, mid-feeling, mid-trying-to-figure-it-out. Unfortunately — or maybe honestly — that’s still true now. I was recently diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. I’m okay. It was caught early, I’m surrounded by excellent care, and there is a plan forming. I share that upfront because context matters. This is serious, but it is not the end of the ...

Have you ever sat in the in-between?

December 27, 2025

Have you ever sat in the in-between? You know the moments I’m talking about. The space after not knowing and before really knowing. The awkward, heavy, quiet space between Point A and Point B. That place where everything feels suspended and nothing has settled yet. It might be one of the hardest places to live. And somehow…we are almost always there. The in-between looks like waiting to hear if you got the job. Or if the client said yes. Or if the numbers finally reflect the work you’ve been pouring your energy into. Sometimes it looks like waiting on test results, ...

This is simply a little story about ‘57 cents’

December 20, 2025

This one is a little different than what I usually write. And before I even get into it, I want you to know this didn’t happen to me directly. It’s a story I heard from someone very close to me, and I’m sharing it because the bottom line matters. The meaning matters. And honestly? I want to hear from you after you read it. Your opinions. Your experiences. Your take. Because lately, I have been thinking about how fast we all move. Every single month feels like a mad dash. We’re running from one thing to the next, checking boxes like it’s a game we can’t afford to lose. ...