Published in The Every Day Novelist·Nov 13, 2019Member-onlyWrite Today About a Thing You’ve Decided, but Have Not Yet DoneLately Louise had decided to give up wearing make-up altogether, but had not yet acted upon the decision. — “Lately Louise had decided to give up wearing make-up altogether, but had not yet acted upon the decision.” ― Iris Murdoch, The Green Knight Oh, Louise. I feel you. I’ve been paying $50 a month for a YMCA membership since February that I literally have not yet acted upon once…Writing2 min readWriting2 min read
Published in P.S. I Love You·Nov 9, 2019Member-onlyHow to Learn to Trust the Process AgainMy 14-year-old is re-teaching me the fine art of showing up. — It’s maybe thirty degrees and raining. I’m bundled up in one of my husband’s winter coats, because it covers me all the way to my knees and when I sit on the cold metal bleacher, it keeps my ass warm. …Sports4 min readSports4 min read
Published in P.S. I Love You·Oct 22, 2019Member-onlyMy Mother-in-Law Hates Me (Sometimes)Being a caretaker is hard. — Most of the time all of the chaos that comes with caring for two elderly people who have dementia is just the stuff I agreed to when I signed on to be part of a family. Right? Family is the place where you can expect to be loved and cared…Family8 min readFamily8 min read
Published in P.S. I Love You·Oct 21, 2019Member-onlySingle Moms Should Shack UpA good plan for hard times. — Seventeen years ago today, my husband and I went on our first date — out to dinner and to a drive-in movie. Sixteen years ago today, we were married. Something like fifteen years ago today, then, when he moved in with me, I was officially Not Poor Anymore. My husband’s…Parenting4 min readParenting4 min read
Published in The Every Day Novelist·Oct 19, 2019Member-onlyWhen Coincidences Start Happening They Go on HappeningWrite About a Coincidence in Your Life Today — “I’ve often noticed that when coincidences start happening they go on happening in the most extraordinary way. I dare say it’s some natural law that we haven’t found out.” ― Agatha Christie When I think about coincidences, I think about fate or timing or luck. The right thing happening at…Writing2 min readWriting2 min read
Published in P.S. I Love You·Oct 19, 2019Member-onlyThere is Nothing Romantic About PovertyNo matter what the frugal-living bloggers say. — I’m not poor anymore. I’m working on moving even further away from poverty. But I will always carry the marks with me. I don’t have any back molars, thanks to a lifetime of not being able to afford regular dental care. I spent my twenties and thirties in near constant…Money3 min readMoney3 min read
Published in The Every Day Novelist·Oct 18, 2019Member-onlyRegret is Mostly Caused by Not Having Done AnythingWrite about your relationship with regret today. — “Regret is mostly caused by not having done anything.” ― Charles Bukowski For some reason, this quote made me stop and stare at it for a long time. Not having done anything? Is that the same as having done nothing? Does most regret come from letting an opportunity pass? An…Writing2 min readWriting2 min read
Published in The Every Day Novelist·Oct 17, 2019Member-onlyEverything From Now On Will Be A New LifeWrite about one of your eerie situations today. — “And in fact the only way I can deal with this eerie situation at all is to make a conscious decision that I have already lived and finished the life I planned to live — and everything from now on will be A New Life, a different thing, a gig…Writing2 min readWriting2 min read
Published in P.S. I Love You·Oct 17, 2019Member-onlyA 10-Year-Old Committed Suicide This WeekSome thoughts on bullying and paying attention. — A friend’s ten-year-old cousin committed suicide two days ago. Ten. It’s hard to wrap my head around even the idea of that. Ten is a fifth grader. Ten is four-feet tall. Ten is pre-puberty and also pre-almost everything else in life. Ten is an unthinkable age to be suicidal. The…Bullying5 min readBullying5 min read
Published in P.S. I Love You·Oct 14, 2019Member-onlyHow to be Radically Generous in Troubled TimesGenerosity is love in practice. Just what the world needs now. — As I write this, I have the news on. And I’m struck with how overwhelmed the state of the world makes me feel. We are in troubled times, all right. Ridiculously troubled. So many awful things are happening all at the same time — some so epic that it’s hard…Mindfulness4 min readMindfulness4 min read
