Self-care

I’m fine. Everything is fine. We are fine. How often do we repeat these sentences? More importantly, how often are they accurate and honest? In our February book club pick, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, we meet a woman who...

The New Year brought with it a barrage of posts about New Year’s Resolutions all over social media—goals to improve who we are, how we look, how much money we make… I get it. I really do. I constantly strive to...

It’s early summer, the season of roses, zinnias, peonies, and dahlias. Who doesn’t love a colorful garden? I have always admired residential gardens, pausing during neighborhood walks to admire them, breathing deeply to take in the scent. My neighbor’s...

When it comes to food, I have a couple weaknesses - baked goods, chocolate, coffee, and wine. I've always enjoyed the art of baking, but somewhere along the way I began to appreciate the baked goods being prepared (hence...

  My family and I recently took a trip to the beach. It was heavenly, as usual. My boys were running and splashing in the water. My husband was playing with them in the surf. The waves were coming up...

This week, my youngest child had a cough that started out benign but developed into a hacking cough that woke him up, gasping for breath. For a week straight I held him at night with my shower on, the...

I don’t like asking for help because I don’t like bothering people. I tend to assume there are worse things in the world than my problem, and everyone is busy, so why bother them. Because of this thinking, I...

A few months ago, I was sharing with my mom, sister, and sister-in-law that my life felt completely overwhelming. It was strange because there was nothing, in particular, that had changed or that I could blame for the way...

When I think of my chronic pain, I think of a time that my nephew was ill. We both handled our pain in the same way. Let me paint a picture for you (trigger warning for sensitive stomachs): My nephew has...

“Journal writing, when it becomes a ritual for transformation, is not only life-changing but life-expanding.” – Jen Williamson Have you ever wanted to journal? I have kept my dearest thoughts, wishes, and hopes in the blank pages of a journal...

We all know that our children are not born with instruction manuals to hand us at their births. No one in the world can warn first-time parents about all of the struggle, strife, hardships, pain, suffering, etc. that go...

Let me start off by saying, any spouse who supports his or her service member in any branch of service - I salute you (Wait, can I do that?)! If you are one of the lovely women or men who...