No matter who you are, where you may roam, or how big and beautiful your life becomes, chances are you know a killjoy. A stick in the mud. A wet blanket. A doomsdayer. These people are the friends, families, or coworkers who have become so comfortable with their glass being half empty that they convince…
The eight-year-old zipped past me, confidently swooping down the hill, sitting up straight on her bike, with the bows at the ends of her braids flying. It was a humbling experience to be 41 years old and just learning to ride a bike. It was something I thought I would never be able to do. I…
Today is International Day of Failure— isn’t that the absolute best thing you’ve ever heard? An entire day dedicated to reveling in all the things that didn’t go according to plan. A day, according to NationalToday.com that “encourages people to try new and daring things; motivates and inspires others to succeed through sharing stories of…
I never wanted to be a teacher. For far too long, I believed the adage that those who can’t do, teach. Besides, in first grade, I had trouble learning to read and got a nervous bellyache at just the thought of being in a classroom. Why would I want to be a teacher when school literally…
I’m not sure who needs to hear this. But, as a lifelong, relentless, deeply-resentful people pleaser, there’s one thing I wish someone had told me a long time ago: You are NOT plain yogurt. I can explain (I think). I spent years reading the room, taking in the social cues, trying to make myself as…
Originally posted on Rachel Adams The Love Offering Blog Series My husband, Scott, and I love taking hikes in the woods behind our house in the White Mountains, which, if you know me at all, is kind of funny. My not-so-secret secret? I’m terrified of nature. I don’t know if I was…
Originally posted on The Uncommon Normal It’s funny how we can breeze through our lives, believing so many beautiful, core truths about ourselves without ever realizing—some things are only true because they’ve never been tested. It’s funny how we can breeze through our lives, believing so many beautiful, core truths about ourselves without ever realizing—some…
“Freedom is the moment we grant ourselves permission to take the long way.” I’ve never been a fan of taking the long way — at least on purpose. I tend to be a shortest route, fastest time, quickest span between two points kind of person. But in July 2021, we sold our home. My husband, kids, dogs,…
“I’m giving myself permission to sit this round out.” It took me way too long to learn that it’s okay to write your own permission slip when it comes to relationships — for a lot of reasons. To start, I’m a first-born, recovering overachiever. I’m also a raging empath, which makes me especially prone to…
When we got home after our sons died, we walked through the front door with empty arms and shattered hearts. All we had left was a blue box. We were told it included memories of our sons that the nurses had prepared. It was supposed to help us with the grief that would overwhelm us…