Accepting the End of a Friendship
Why I Stopped Trying to Be Thin and Started Trying to Be Strong
“The resistance that you fight physically in the gym and the resistance that you fight in life can only build a strong character.” ~Arnold Schwarzenegger
The gym. Just saying the word makes some people break into a sweat—and not the good kind. Bright lights. Mirrors everywhere. What do I wear? That “everyone is staring at me” feeling (spoiler: they’re not; they’re staring at themselves).
For others, it’s their safe place, their happy zone. So how do you go from “I’d rather chew glass” to actually wanting to walk through those doors? I’ll share from personal experience.
I have always been …
The Moment That Brought Me Hope When Life Felt Joyless
“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” ~Buddha
There are seasons when life feels stripped of joy, when hope seems far away, unreachable, or unreal. Seasons when you wake up already exhausted, and it feels like there’s nothing soft left in the world—no beauty, no connection, nothing to rest in. I’ve been living in that season lately.
I’m losing my vision to macular degeneration. I’m a caregiver for my ninety-six-year-old mother. I’m navigating disability, financial strain, and the feeling that the future is shrinking instead of widening. Most days, I move …
The Growth That Came from Not Saying Sorry
“You are not responsible for other people’s emotional reactions.” ~Susan Forward
This morning, in our usual rush and routine heading to school, my son was looking for something, as per usual. I calmly asked what he was doing, and he snapped at me. That’s not uncommon.
I stayed regulated and grounded to help him regulate. But sometimes, that calm turns into overfunctioning.
Codependency has a way of sneaking in the back door. As someone who was once deeply codependent, I still fall into old habits—being the one who holds it together, who stays calm for others. And if they
How to Be Sad on Vacation
“Healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.” ~Pema Chodron
I recently went on vacation with my partner, Jett. I want to tell you it was kind of a disaster, but the truth is, it was just life. I had a lot of expectations placed on this trip (I have a lot of expectations, period), and I thought my issues wouldn’t follow me to Mexico.
We left the chores and the kids and the pets behind, but we still brought ourselves. We were both currently …
The Beauty in Brokenness: Why Your Scars Make You Worthy
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” ~Rumi
On July 2, 2009, my life shattered with three words: “He is gone.”
I thought my friend meant my love was away on a camping trip, but no. She meant he was gone, as in forever.
My stomach knotted and my breath stopped. My body was reacting to the gravity of the truth before my mind could fully process it. The man I loved more than life itself never came back from his camping trip, and in many ways, neither did I.
My heart broke in a million …
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