It's wonderful to have a national day of service to reflect on the indelible mark Martin Luther King, Jr. left on this country. It's especially healing to honor him now, in this volatile climate brimming with racism, misogyny, xenophobia, and fear mongering. We need the reminder … [Read more...] about Everyday Can Be MLK Day
Dirt and Noise
10 Simple Ways to Make 2017 Shine
I’m having chocolate for breakfast. This should tell you all you need to know about 2016. I’ve pretty much been eating my feelings, especially since November 9. Friends and family have been gifting us sausages from a small, organic butcher in Wisconsin, cheese (also from … [Read more...] about 10 Simple Ways to Make 2017 Shine
Have a Heart (of Haiti) This Holiday Season
I never imagined some of my favorite Christmas ornaments would come from Haiti. Truth be told, when I was there in October I loaded up on ornaments for gifts, but now I can't bear to part with them. The metal work is gorgeous, and I am especially enamored with those pieces since … [Read more...] about Have a Heart (of Haiti) This Holiday Season
What Do You See When You Look in the Mirror?
For many years when I looked in the mirror, I saw mostly discomfort, awkwardness, and low self-esteem. I didn't see beauty and I never felt attractive. I felt jumbled on definitions of internal and external beauty. I focused on my scars, my vampire teeth and overbite, and my … [Read more...] about What Do You See When You Look in the Mirror?
Be A Boss (With a Little Help From the Forte Foundation)
I once had a boss who sent a taxi to her daughter’s elementary school to pick her up when the nurse called saying she was sick. The little girl was ten, just a year younger than my youngest son is now. I was fresh out of college at the time and recall thinking to myself that I … [Read more...] about Be A Boss (With a Little Help From the Forte Foundation)
Thanksgiving Wishes Redux
I wrote this post originally in 2010. That was six years ago. It resonates still. I'm sharing my Thanksgiving wishes again with a deep sense of sadness in my heart. The world has indeed more or less gone mad. More loving, less loathing. More helping, less … [Read more...] about Thanksgiving Wishes Redux
Children’s Reactions to a Trump Presidency
I have never cried at election results. Scratch that. I cried when Obama won in 2008. But those were tears of joy. Last night I cried tears of shame, fear, dread. This isn’t my America. And then I wondered...what will I tell my sons? This election season was a … [Read more...] about Children’s Reactions to a Trump Presidency