Adult Friendships Require Grace
The Grief No One Talks About: How to Heal After Losing a Soulmate Pet
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” ~Anatole France
When my cat Squiggles died, I didn’t just “lose a pet.” I lost a part of my identity, my greatest source of comfort, and my sense of home.
Squiggles was the one constant in my life through every milestone, every heartbreak, every version of myself I grew into over the course of two decades. I had her since the moment she was born, and for almost twenty-two years, Squiggles was my constant companion, my emotional support, my soul-kitty.
But no matter how much I prepared …
The Weight of Regrets and the Choice to Live Better
“It is very important for every human being to forgive herself or himself because if you live, you will make mistakes—it is inevitable. But once you do and you see the mistake, then you forgive yourself and say, ‘Well, if I’d known better I’d have done better.’” ~Maya Angelou
I’ve lived long enough to know the difference between a mistake and a tragedy. Some of what I carry falls in between—moments I wish I could redo, things I said or didn’t say, relationships I mishandled, and opportunities I let slip through my fingers. They don’t scream at me every day, …
From Pain to Peace: How to Grieve and Release Unmet Expectations
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” ~Rumi
Before 2011, I had heard many spiritual teachers talk about “accepting what is.” It sounded nice in theory, like good mental information to chew on. But it didn’t feel embodied. I understood it intellectually, but I wasn’t living it.
Then I attended a weekend intensive with a teacher I deeply respected, and something in the way he explained it hit deeper. It wasn’t just talk. The essence of his words turned a spiritual idea into something I could start to live.
In that talk, he shared a …
Why You Can’t Relax and How to Let Yourself Rest
“Rest and be thankful.” ~William Wordsworth
A few years ago, I caught myself doing something that made no sense.
It was late evening, my kids were asleep, the house finally quiet. I’d been counting down to this moment all day—dreaming of sinking into the couch, wrapping myself in a blanket, maybe even reading a book without distractions.
But when I lay down and closed my eyes, something inside me lurched. Within seconds, I reached for my phone. I didn’t even have anything urgent to check—just mindless scrolling. Five minutes in, I was already half-sitting up, wondering if I should fold …
How Self-Portraits Brought My Messy, Honest, Beautiful Self into Focus
“And then I realized that to be seen by others, I first had to be willing to see myself.” ~Anonymous
In a world that teaches us to be visible only when we’re polished, productive, or pleasing, I found something unexpected on the other side of my camera: myself.
But not the filtered version. Not the composed one or the “smiling because I’m fine” version.
I found the person I’d forgotten—the one who had spent years loving, giving, showing up for everyone else but rarely turning any of that tenderness inward.
I didn’t pick up the camera to take pretty pictures. …
3 Tools for Burnout Relief (That I’m Using Right Now)
**This post contains a giveaway. Scroll to the bottom to learn more!
Burnout has been on my mind a lot lately, and that’s saying a lot since my burnout brain has trouble focusing these days.
Between working from home while raising two young kids and traveling back and forth across the country to spend time with a sick loved one, I’ve felt stretched in more directions than I thought possible. I know many of you can relate to the constant push to keep going even when your body and mind are begging for rest.
That’s why I’m excited to share …
The Power I Now Carry Because of My Illness
“Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it.” ~Eckhart Tolle
For years, I thought strength meant pushing through. Getting on with it. Holding it together no matter what. Not showing weakness. Not needing help. Not slowing down.
Even when I was diagnosed with a chronic illness, I wore that mindset like armor. I was determined not to let it define me—let alone derail me.
But eventually, it did. Not because I was weak. But because I was human. And that was the beginning of a different kind …
The Truth About My Inner Critic: It Was Trauma Talking
“I will not let the bullies and critics of my early life win by joining and agreeing with them.” ~Pete Walker
For most of my life, there was a voice in my head that narrated everything I did, and it was kind of an a**hole.
You know the one. That voice that jumps in before you even finish a thought:
“Don’t say that. You’ll sound stupid.”
“Why would anyone care what you think?”
“You’re too much. You’re not enough. You’re a mess.”
No matter what I did, the critic had notes. Brutal ones. And the worst part? I believed every …
The Surprising Freedom in Not Having Life All Figured Out
“Sometimes you have to let go of the life you planned to make room for the life that’s waiting for you.” ~Joseph Campbell
My new motto? Always have a backup plan.
Life rarely goes as you’d imagined.
January 16th, 2001. That’s the day my life trajectory changed irrevocably. That’s the day that would lead me to, eventually, living alone—to being divorced. That’s the day my ex had a ski accident that changed the lives of every member of our immediate family. But today, I don’t want to talk about him or that. I want to talk about my …
Why AI Can Never Replace Us: The Truth About Being Human
“AI accidentally made me believe in the concept of a human soul by showing me what art looks like without it.” ~Unknown
What is intelligence?
I’ve asked this question all my life—as a teacher, a filmmaker, a researcher, and now, as someone losing my vision to macular degeneration.
I ask it when I watch students find their voice.
I ask it when I listen to a close friend of mine, a world-renowned cosmologist, whose knowledge seems limitless but whose humility runs even deeper. He can discuss black holes one minute and quote the Tao Te Ching the next. He doesn’t …
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