When I cry, I remember why forever. When I laugh, I forget about it tomorrow. –Anonymous I’m trying my hand at a few definitions of sad things that we might experience: Tragedy—def: the destruction of human lives or hearts on a massive scale. A loss of profound consequences. Tear-jerker—def: you know after witnessing this kind of movie or…
Anyone who’s ever gotten married and spent a major family holiday with the in-laws knows that it can be awkward at first. No amount of love and welcome can make the different traditions and communication styles feel effortless to the “stranger." And by this, I mean the one who is only included because of their spouse, not because of a lifetime of memories and shared blood.…
If I were to tell you what I’m most afraid of, it’s this: doing something wrong. Perfectionism runs deep inside me, cutting deep canyons, and though I once thought I could call myself a “recovering perfectionist” but the truth is the trait doesn’t ever shake itself off completely. It sickens me to think I might…
We all read out loud. It's part of daily life. But what many of us don't realize is that reading out loud is a skill, and, with a little practice, it can be honed in a way that transforms anything we say. A mediocre story can become something fantastic with one simple tweak—the voice-acting of the narrator who breathes it to life. A well-written piece of…
I was hardly prepared for the weekend that just passed. I have a habit of being revved up and excited before a writer’s conference (and grumpy, exhausted, and burned out, after one), but this excited pre-conference state is understandable, right? It’s like being a candy shop of learning that’s jam-packed with people who are just as crazy as I am about how to tell a good…
This was a letter that I planned to use as a blog post before Baby George arrived in the world. He decided to arrive 10 days before his due date, which might have been the reason it missed its original release date. However, all the advice I had for him still applies. I think it's funny that Relationships and Social Media seem equally important as categories…
I'm not one of those folks who believes that a painter on a desert island will go on painting canvases (or rather, banana leaves, as this may be the only available resource) if s/he is alone with no one else to see the art. I honestly don't think this sort of perpetual creative art would happen, and that's not just my personal ego and need for…
Remember when I wrote that post about emerging from a dark Cave and discussed the process of cradling my newborn son while I groped my way back to the outside world? That little son is almost one year old now. And he’s teaching me all sorts of stuff. I’m learning how to be more patient, tender, and detailed in caring for him than I have ever had…
“Mom! Look at this!” I hold up my artwork. Horses. Princesses. Flowers. Mermaids. Castles. Repeat. I remember when I wanted to be a visual artist. Drawing after drawing of the above subjects, in just about every creative combination you could think of. I’d show these drawings to my mother, filled with delight and joy because I had made something that I deemed beautiful. Then I grew…
We got a huge bag of Belly Flops for Easter this year. In case you’re unfamiliar with the term, Belly Flops are the misshapen jelly beans that didn’t pass the Jelly Belly perfection test. Some of them look a bit like runts, but seem fairly normal, others, how shall we put this nicely, resemble obscene amoeba. I’ve been stressing this past week. (Oh and I’m totally…