Kindergarten Is Calling: The Bittersweet Blessing of Letting Go
I’ve been counting down the years, watching them turn into months. Always keeping my eye on the proverbial clock that’s been ticking away since she was born. And now, according…
Losing My Religion: An Imperfect Journey to Finding My Faith Again
If you’re anything like me, the title of this article may have scared you away. Losing religion? Finding faith? Yikes. Religion can be a touchy subject; delicate at best, offensive…
Guilt Trippin’: Reframing Our Guilt for the Greater Good
Recently, I was chatting with a friend of mine. School had been cancelled for consecutive days in a row, thanks to massive amounts of snow dumped on our side of…
Living Out Her Legacy: Five Life Lessons My Grandma Taught Me
I’m cuddled up under one of my grandma’s blankets. A Mendoza painting of hers is now hanging in my entryway, a statement piece I’d overlooked countless times when it hung…
A Punching Bag and Boxing Gloves: An Unconventional Relationship
My first birthday after losing my mom, I asked my husband for a unique birthday present. A punching bag. There was so much emotion that had built up inside of…
Living Away from Fear, Not Into It: An Unexpected Lesson in Courage
Not long ago, we stuck a for sale sign in our front yard, packed up the contents of our home for the last seven years, and decided to live away…
The Aftermath: Pressing Through the Pain to Find Healing After Trauma
Warning: traumatic birth story detailed below. Please read on with caution as the material or descriptions may be triggering. Every January, as his birthday draws near, I have a tightness…
How Do You Know When It’s Time to Move On?
How do you know when it’s time to move on? Or to say no to something that you’ve previously said yes to? Are you a “Yes” Person? If you find…
Give the Dance Moms a Break, Choose Acceptance Over Judgement
In 2016, I became a “girl mom.” But I was determined never to become one of those "Dance Moms." I was already mom to a little boy. He was innately a…
Calling All Peacemakers: Making Peace with the Need to Keep the Peace
Being a peacemaker is a lot of work. I’ve been trying to keep the peace in one way or another, with one person or another, for years. And in today’s…
What if Life Were as Simple as a Choose Your Own Adventure Book?
Have you ever read a Choose Your Own Adventure book? These stories allow the reader to assume the role of the protagonist and make choices to determine the main character's…
To My Partner: Thank You for Your Investment in My Friendships
Months ago, pre-Covid, as I cleaned up after the gathering of friends we had hosted for dinner, a stack of dishes stared indifferently back at me from my sink. I…
Why Should You Care About Hispanic Heritage Month?
History of Hispanic Heritage Month The Hispanic Heritage observance began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to…
Embracing the Beauty in the Ordinary
I am once again reminded that there is beauty in the every day moments as I watch the sunrise while holding our 8 week old. It is the ordinary, every…
How to Connect the Dots of Your Life
We know the day we’re born, but not when we'll die. One bookend of our lives is defined but not the other. In our younger decades we anxiously race toward…
Why You Need to Tell Your Inner Circle How Much You Value Them
Many of us hesitate to be authentic with others because we have been hurt in the past or assume we’ll have more time once we come out on the other…
Confessions of a Procrastinator: From Procrastination to Productivity
I have a dirty little secret. Actually, for those who know me well, it’s no secret at all. I am a procrastinator. On the surface, I seem to be a…
How To Choose Podcasts Worth Listening To
How often have you felt overwhelmed by all the mediums vying for your attention? I can remember a time before podcasts and social media. Books, radio and TV have always…
What Perspective Am I to Hold on to?
These last few months have been disorienting. To gather enough focus to put pen to paper and write down my thoughts has been daunting. The struggle to identify up from…
The Challenge for Moms and the Childless Woman to be in Community
Moms and the childless in community? All of us crave the fulfillment of whatever we assume is missing in our lives. Otherwise, life would be practically perfect. But the challenge for…
Help and Be Helped: What Makes Accepting Help So Hard?
I love helping people. It makes me feel purposeful and fulfilled. Every time I’ve taken an Enneagram test, I’m a 2. “The Helper.” I want to bring meals to you…
How to Spark Transparent Connections through “How are you?”
I have long known that God created me with the gift of transparency. But have since learned to shroud it in discernment. To pause for a beat. Then, cautiously determine…
I’ll Never Sleep Again: Finding the Humor in a Sleepless Phase of Life
Ahh, sleep deprivation. A sleepless state of existence that is near and not-so-dear to my heart. As a matter of fact, I don’t know that I’ve met many individuals who…
Celebrating the Lives and Legacy of Childless Women
The Lives of Childless Women I often struggle in celebrating the lives of growing families around me. Counting myself among childless women I feel like an anomaly. Although maybe more…
Losing My Voice, Gaining Perspective: Two Lessons I Learned from Staying Quiet
The quieter you become, the more you can hear.Ram Dass Losing My Voice; Literally Last week, I lost my voice. And I mean that in the literal sense. I went…
Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect: Embracing the Imperfect
There’s nothing quite like one’s first-ever blog post to serve up a big helping of vulnerability, is there? But really, the craving to be more vulnerable is largely what nudged…
I Got You, Babe: Creating Authentic Female Friendships
Every December for the last five years or so, when my husband and I sat down to list our goals and intentions for the next year, I’ve included “make new…
Hate: 5 Reasons We Let Negativity Take Over Our Emotions
Hate has always been a hard topic to discuss. It is usually seen as negative and can be deemed as an unacceptable emotion, making us feel like a bad person…
5 Ways to Utilize Social Media
During the summer months, there is an urge to change things up. Spend more time outside. Go on vacation. Experience longer conversations with loved ones. Catch up on reading. But…