Have you ever eaten a bag of M&M’s and titled your head back to rattle the last few pieces of candy into your mouth? (please don’t judge my PMS rituals) And then, just when you thought the chocolate fun time was over, you feel one more little sucker tucked into the corner of the bag….? That’s…
Dopamine vs Serotonin
About a year ago a I had a pretty memorable conversation with my trainer. He is the kind of person you can talk with about a range of topics, and the conversation always evolves into something that is uniquely insightful. I love how open-minded he is and though it is very hard to have deep conversations between sets…
What Would I Tell this Girl?
I was cleaning out some old boxes recently and I found this picture of myself. It was taken a little over 10 years ago on my honeymoon in South Africa. I picked it up and I just stared at it for a minute or two. I just kept staring at her….this girl in the picture…this…
Over Exposed
I am a thinker; an analyzer. I often get lost in my own world; picking my thoughts apart and trying to make sense of my life and what I want out of it. It’s a flawed process because ultimately, we have no control over what happens in our lives. So maybe I am a fool,…
A Moonlit Path
This might be stating the obvious, but divorce is a dark, dark experience. When everything began to unravel, I felt trapped in my home, surrounded by photos and memories and a sense of falsity surrounding the life I thought I had. Burdened with keeping my emotions hidden from family and friends while trying to figure out…
Uncomfortable
It seems like lately every day presents a new challenge to me — I am living life way out of my comfort zone. Greater financial responsibilities. Greater work obligations. Less control over where and what my children are doing when they are not in my care. And very little opportunity to have a “normal” social…
Strength in Silence
This year has been transformational for me in so many ways. One of the primary reasons I created this blog was to challenge myself to do what scares me most — put myself and my deepest feelings out into the world. I have always feared being an open book and this blog is just what I need…
The Rule of 3’s
True story. Too funny. Had to share. Here’s the scene: 3 recently divorced women are sitting around one night after putting the kids to sleep. Woman #1 and woman #2 are loud mouths and woman #3 is the quiet, reserved type. (Yes, it’s me and my friends. Yes, I am loud mouth #2) So,…
Willing to Hurt Again
My walls have been up for months. I meet people all the time but I am so reluctant to let them in. I have been in such a protected (and protective) state when it comes to my feelings. I go out on dates and recognize the potential connections but I am not sure if I am in…
Let Live
A few months ago, my girlfriend and I were at a bar in Miami during the Chinese New Year. As part of the festivities, the bartenders provided every guest with a blank card, upon which, you were supposed to write your intentions for the coming year. It’s the Year of the Rooster, by the way. I…
Complete Relief
Late last summer, I had lunch with a friend of mine…she is a mom, a clinical psychologist and an overall amazing person. We talked about everything and at the very end as we were wrapping up, I mentioned something that had totally confounded me. I went on to explain that at the very moment I…
Golden Girls
I was out drinking with a friend recently. She saved me from an awful first date. As we ran — and I mean RAN — from the restaurant, we started laughing at ourselves, she looked straight at me and said “Ugh, there you are. I finally have my friend back!” Here’s the understatement of the year: women are strong.…
Rather Alarming
Last night I took my girl scout troop — 11 girls and 11 moms — on a retreat to a waterpark/resort in the Poconos. The day was jam packed with activities and by the time I got back to the room, it was past 10pm and I was more than ready for bed. Even as…
Give Pause
Is there a fine line between quick reaction and careful response? I was talking to my brother recently about the dating scene and how odd it is to have these long-standing “text relationships.” I was quasi-complaining about how difficult it is to get a sense for the person and how they handle situations in real…
What’s Your Next Move?
We moms put a lot of pressure on ourselves. And we allow others to put pressure on us as well — our kids, our parents, our siblings, our friends. They may not even know they’re doing it. Innocently, they may be offering advice or sharing their hopes and aspirations for our well being. But you know…
Just Let It …
Is there such thing as a “Failed Relationship?” I guess it depends on how you define a successful relationship. If you’re looking for a relationship that lasts until death and falls short, then I guess using the term “failed” is well within reason. But if you are approaching relationships in general as an opportunity to…
Kali Girls
Today my best friend sent me something that proves she knows me so well. It was all about Kali, the Goddess of New Beginnings (and interesting accessories?) I am not a man hater by any stretch of the imagination but man, somedays I really feel like this chick: she is like Beyonce meets Gene Simmons meets…
Pancakes Solve Everything
I have a favorite sweatshirt. I bought it a few months ago. It’s gray and soft and in big black letters on the front, it says “Pancakes Solve Everything.” It was totally an impulse buy, but it made me smile on a day when I really needed to, and so, that lucky sweatshirt came home…
Into the Great Wide Open
Leaving for a much-needed respite and as the plane took off this morning, I couldn’t help but hum one of my favorite songs.Yes, I love Tom Petty but that is not the song I’m singing today: “Nel blue dipinto di blu….Felice di stare lassu.” Words that express how simple and content I am at…
Awareness is the Antidote
Twice in the past week I have read interesting passages about awareness. The first was actually in my horoscope. According to the stars, I was in for a very emotionally trying day and the advice from Susan Miller was to “be aware of those feelings because they are the antidote to being dragged down.” The second reference,…