Dear Mom, I used to hate roses because they reminded me of you: beautiful, with dangerous thorns. But when I planted your favorite flower on your 100th birthday, you sent me a sign. Now, I embrace you completely, Mother Dear. I love you, Mom, thorns and all. If you were still alive, you would’ve adored shopping for rose bushes at …
Time to get outta the house — a hello from L.A.
Somehow, my daughter and I pulled together a last-minute cross-country road trip, from New York to Los Angeles. Coast-to-coast. It was time to get outta the house! I’m grateful that the drive went well — it’s just one of many gratitudes on my list right now. As you know, I’m big on being thankful. In fact, I find that daily …
Dads never really die
When I was 19, my 70-year-old dad passed on from this world. But since I believe that dads never really die, my relationship with him keeps growing. And we’re finally in a very good place. This is huge. After all, I spent decades wrapped in outrage, venting about the tyrant who scarred me forever. Now, I look at my faded …
Being the mother of a college graduate
Here’s my big news: I’ve become the proud mother of a college graduate! And I’m also sort of speechless. Wow. What do I do now? During these past four years. I watched Gabi explore her passions, purpose and power. It was hard for me to let her make her own choices (but I learned). She graduated with honors, too — …
Why I’m becoming a professional coach
This weekend, I’m in Arlington, Va. for life coach training, yay! Taking on this new role pulls together all the skills from my life journey. I only realized I was looking for coaching — when I found it. That’s why I’m becoming a professional coach. :) The world of sports has always had coaches. But when I was young(er), other types …
Writing tips from Maxine Hong Kingston
Forty years ago, she wrote “The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts.” The book was a breakthrough bestseller about growing up in a dysfunctional Chinese immigrant family. Today, it’s an American classic. And now, here I was, actually chatting and getting writing tips from Maxine Hong Kingston. Maybe you’ve heard of Maxine’s woman warrior. In ancient China, she …