NOTE: I originally wrote this piece two years ago, in February 2020, while going through chemotherapy for stage 3 breast cancer. Though times have changed, my kids are still crazy. I had a really weird dream the other night. I was in a dimly-lit room, a combination movie theatre/computer lab/lecture hall. A large projector screenContinue reading “Two Under Two Plus Cancer”
Category Archives: Motherhood
Press Restart
The other weekend, my husband and I took the kids sledding on a little hill behind our house. Even though it was only just barely above zero, we were bundled up warmly, and the kids screamed with laughter as they flew down the hill. Our youngest child bounced over a particularly wavy patch of frozenContinue reading “Press Restart”
Poem: Koi Pond
Wonder gleams in your eyes as sunlight breaks the pond’s surface. I wonder at your reckless joy, the way you tumble with cartwheeling legs for refuge in our arms. Handfuls of small, sand-colored pebbles Scatter the water until– Plop! You shriek and leap with every splash, pointing at tangerine streaks of life and bubbles thatContinue reading “Poem: Koi Pond”
Work vs. Life
How do you balance work and life? Do you think people who are more idealist and empathetic give too much to their people-centered careers?
Mini Self Care
What are your simplest “self care” suggestions and tips for stressful times?
Strength in Simple Words
Last week I went in for my annual mammogram, and the technologist recognized me instantly. “How old is your little guy now?” “He’ll be two on Sunday,” I said, surprising myself by how quickly time had passed. “Already?!” She couldn’t believe it either. At my very first mammogram, she’d met my son, who had onlyContinue reading “Strength in Simple Words”
My SMART Resolutions
I tend to set my New Year’s Resolutions like my teacher SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. It’s an acronym that, if you’re a teacher, is probably emblazoned on the back of your mind. Much like the goals I set to help my students, each one of my resolutions needs to serve aContinue reading “My SMART Resolutions”
Writing Goals from Your Unique Perspective
Can we strengthen our writing through specific goals and unique character perspectives? I hope so! I believe many of us writers are so passionate about our work because we hope to change the world in some way or inspire others through our thoughts and ideas. This video looks at my not-so-writerly life after my MAContinue reading “Writing Goals from Your Unique Perspective”
A Writer’s Spark
What sorts of experiences help to strengthen a writer’s words and creativity?
Risk-taking and cancer, part 2
How do you become more boldly yourself? What goals changed for you after a trauma or life event? I think both cancer patients, in remission, and mothers, post-childbirth, find themselves in a sort of limbo where they can recreate who they are. (They are probably lots of other transition points of life where people encounterContinue reading “Risk-taking and cancer, part 2”
Words and Coffee Writing 