Today, I had an opportunity to exercise compassion for myself. I decided after being mostly home sick for two days that I needed to get out. I loaded up almost-three-year-old R in the car, which was hot from sitting out in the afternoon sun. I gave him about three minutes of looking at gravel in…
I want to address a couple of comments I’ve received since I started sharing my blog. These couple of comments have been something along the lines of, “It seems like you are doing really well with everything.” When I’ve read those, I appreciate the sentiment/encouragement but I want to wave my arms frantically from the…
I find myself joking with my close friends that it’s a lot of work to be friends with me right now. It’s because I have no capacity for the superficial. I don’t have the energy for it. This means I have a lot more awkward conversations. I ask deep, personal questions. I talk about…
As a woman, I’ve spent most of my life trying to take up as little space as possible. This was easier in some ways because I have always been on the smaller side of normal. And the message from the world is that women should be small and quiet and agreeable. Fortunately, at this time…
I just finished a short relationship with someone. It was never meant to be serious but it was more substantial than anything I’ve had since I separated from my someday-ex 20 months ago. This micro relationship was like an accelerated course. Each week, I felt I was uncovering some truth about myself, not because this…
This week I went to see one of my patients at the board and care facility where she lives. I was sitting in my car digging around in my bag to make sure I had a pen when she appeared through the glass of my passenger window. I startled. She was wearing a hospital gown…
When I started this blog, I was inspired by Glennon Doyle (OBVIOUSLY because I quote her in most of my posts…and really I’m holding back by not quoting her as much as I would like to). She said that when she started her blog (momastery.com) she used the prompt, “What is it like to be…
People who know me know that I don’t swear often but there is a reason these words exist and I try to reserve them for such times. Shit is one of those words. Today I’m working on potty training my two year old and this seems like an appropriate time to share a few of…
Each Sunday I pick Cora up and take her to church. I’ve gotten to know Cora in little ten minute segments because that’s about how long it takes to get from her house to the church. So I’m not going to pretend that I know a lot about Cora’s life, but sometimes you don’t need…
Tonight I find myself on the couch. It’s late. I should be sleeping but my brain won’t be quiet. I have learned that this is a signal I’ve been slacking on my mental hygiene. By that, I mean that I haven’t been doing all of the practices I usually do to keep my mind uncluttered. …