I gave birth to my third daughter this past December, and she is the very embodiment of joy. She has brought so much hope and light into my life and the lives of our new little family, and I focus every day on how grateful I am that this amazing little person came to spend…
The journey to take back your health can be as simple or as complex as you make it. There are many easy habits that you can incorporate into your daily routine to improve your health, none of which require a steep learning curve or a high upfront investment. Here are 8 actionable steps you can…
October 10, 2022 The room was dim, muted, oppressive. The slight whir and buzz of the radiology equipment dominated all human interaction. The technician moved dully about her business, inputting data, prepping for the ultrasound. We were there for information; she was there to obtain it. I leaned to once more embrace a 3-year-old Cecilia,…
You can be everything to your daughter except her father. My therapist’s voice echoed in my head for weeks after she spoke this sentence. As a struggling single mother, it was not an opinion I wanted to hear. I was spending every ounce of energy, will, and intellect trying to figure out how best to…
Every mother has her story. The perfect mothers, the addict mothers, the Stepford mothers, the foster mothers, the teenage mothers, the Instagram mothers, and the mothers who have lost their babies—all have a story to tell. Some are tragedies; some are comedies; some are simply the stories that mothers stop writing when the telling becomes…
It can be tough in a moment of stress to find a way through and not spin out emotionally. Here are the top five tips I have for getting through those difficult times and coming out on the other end building (instead of damaging) relationships with my children. tip #1: pick your battles This is…
No parent has it all figured out, and most of us need more than a little help every once in a while to keep our heads above water. In our newly blended family, we struggle to cope with the complex dynamics involved in step-parenting, adopted parenting, newborn parenting, and parenting a child with a serious…
A coot beat the waters of the sea In the silence all aroundIn the silence of the seaIn the silence of nowhereIn the silence of the seaA fish jumpedThe seaweed popped and the sand sighedIn the low tide. “Quiet in the wilderness,” margaret wise brown Our world is growing louder. I feel it day by…
I’ve never met a mother who doesn’t battle with mom guilt. It seems less common for fathers; however, I also know many fathers who are influenced by guilt. Lately, my husband, Peter, and I have been forced to come to grips with exactly how many of our daily parenting choices are governed by mom/dad guilt….
Most parents struggle to prioritize self-care. This can be especially challenging for mothers. But the irony of self-care is that it actually makes you a better parent; it directly fuels your capacity for patience, endurance, and compassion–all of which active parenting can consume at a rapid rate! It has been very hard for me to…