On September 2, 2019, the world lost a young man to suicide. Unfortunately, this is not a unique story, especially to those in the Millennial and Gen Z gap. The message of not enough is an old one, here long before Facebook or any other media, as is bullying and violence and every other hate we witness. But today, we are surrounded by a proliferation of messages telling us we are not enough, bombarding us from all sides. Technology originally created to connect people has cre

For most of my life, I was a perfectionist. My OCD was legendary. I was born into a people-pleasing existence and learned early on to keep everything in its place, both inside and out. My earliest memory of creating art was met with, “You’ve made such a mess!” My inner artist went underground and didn’t risk stepping out again until I bought my first sketchbook at age 24. Everything from that time until entering college at 36 was self-taught. I created art here and there betw

(This post is in response to the prompt “How did you become a writer?” for the DIY MFA Book Club that started today. Click here for more information on the club.) I have heard from many writers that the desire to write began early on. My own journey to the keyboard came a bit later. For over half of my life, I felt I had nothing to say that anyone would want to hear. I had no voice of my own. The word accident was mentioned often in my formative years and left its mark – I sp

A few days ago, as I walked down an aisle in Target, I passed by a woman speaking to a clerk. As I wandered past, the clerk nodded his head and proceeded to lead the woman to what she was seeking. The woman, following his lead, said with a slight giggle, “I’m just a mom. What do I know?” I responded in a whisper to her question, “Everything.” I’m sure she was kidding, at least to a degree. Now obviously, I know she doesn’t know everything. But having been a parent for almost

When we seek to make positive changes in our lives that are in line with our personal truths, others that are close to us may respond in ways that are less than supportive. Some responses are downright mean and nasty. For example, a son has a parent that is a crazymaker and has always been. The son is unaware of this and has spent his entire life bowing to the needs of this parent, disregarding his own. Time goes by and the son hopes in vain that things will change. This is h

We all do it. At some time or other despite our best intentions, we eat food we know will make us miserable, drink more than we intended, lash out at those we love most or succumb to our own negative self-talk. We know exactly what is good for us, yet we struggle to consistently incorporate healthy habits into our lives. It is a part of being human, albeit a frustrating part. In my own journey to wellness and healing, patterns have emerged. Anytime I began to move toward succ

So you had a bad day. The bad day to beat all bad days. A spirit-breaking, heart-aching bad day. The good news is that your today is not defined by your yesterday nor does it define your tomorrow. Breathe. Stay in this moment. Ride the wave of emotion running through you. You will reach the other side. And you know what? Your today does not define your yesterday either. Even if you stumble and fall, it does not erase the ground you’ve covered, the growth you’ve achieved. So g

I have this acquaintance I’ve known for many years. She comes to visit from time to time. It is never what I would call a pleasant visit, only comforting in its familiarity. No matter where I’m at or what I have happening in my life at the moment, she will drop by unannounced. Most often these visits come at the worst time for me. You know what I mean…life is upside down and you feel completely overwhelmed. Yep. That’s when she stops by. I have known her for so long, as long