My mother used to say, “What’s the worst they can say?” No. She would say, ” You don’t know unless you ask! It hurts, and we get nervous; the fear of rejection is real. Quite often, it keeps us in the same place. We are too scared to move forward. No is not always a…

There’s something about spring that doesn’t ask for permission; it just arrives. Soft at first, almost unnoticeable, and then all at once everything is blooming, everything is stretching toward the sun, everything is reminding you that starting over is not only possible, it’s natural. Spring, for me, isn’t just a season. It’s an invitation. An…

We went to the Moon and back, and I am still not over it. I didn’t expect to feel it this deeply. I thought I would just watch a mission, another scientific milestone, another moment for history books. But somewhere between launch and splashdown, between the silence of re-entry and the relief of safe return,…

I am six years away from being an empty nester; however, I had my first son at twenty-two and the last a decade later. While I am fully aware these six years will have moments that move too quickly and days that drag on, I have no idea what it is like to be an…

Is it too late to get a do-over? Maybe, but maybe not. George Clooney’s last line in the movie, Jay Kelly, is “Can I go again?” Was he wanting to see himself on the big screen again, or was he wanting a do-over? This isn’t a persuasive piece as there is no aim to bend…

I’m proud of how far I’ve come since I published my first book in 2020. I’ve now published 5 books, and as an indie author who self-publishes, it takes me on a whole journey where I have to do a lot more than just write. So, here’s a little description of a journey to publication,…

Last month, I talked about my long, drawn-out journey to being a writer.  I offered some sage advice: “If you want to be a writer, write!” And yes, I really do believe it’s that simple. Your writing will start with a first draft, and I love a messy first draft because it means there have…

Have you ever loved someone so deeply that no matter what they do, you can’t stop loving them? Whether your spouse, kids, parents, siblings, etcetera, you forgive and forget… and forgive and forget… and forgive and forget. It becomes an ongoing cycle, all the while you’re suppressing how they’ve made you feel just to keep…

We were sitting at happy hour, half laughing and half wrestling with heavy topics, when the conversation landed on the idea of friends being family. One of our friends suddenly said, “Even though we say it, we all know friends aren’t really family.” I couldn’t agree less. Would you be surprised to hear that I…