New!
The publication beta now supports navigation.
Opt in now.
Homepage
Open in app
Sign in
Get started
Sleepless in the San Fernando Valley
By Robin Finn — She’s sweaty. She has to pee. She has teenagers. No wonder she can’t sleep.
About
Robin Finn
Follow
I Ask Everything Beautiful That I See: “Are You My Mother?”
I Ask Everything Beautiful That I See: “Are You My Mother?”
Just like baby bird in the book, I don’t know where she is but I am determined to find her.
Robin Finn
Jan 11
Latest
2021 New Year’s Resolutions: Run, Meditate, Learn to Ride a Horse??
2021 New Year’s Resolutions: Run, Meditate, Learn to Ride a Horse??
My current self-nurturing practice includes lying in my bed and thinking about self-nurturing activities.
Robin Finn
Jan 4
Writing at the Kitchen Table
Writing at the Kitchen Table
If you want to concentrate, do not sit at the table while your husband cooks.
Robin Finn
Dec 28, 2020
My Mother’s Death was a Dividing Line In My Life
My Mother’s Death was a Dividing Line In My Life
Learning to navigate the new normal without her isn’t easy.
Robin Finn
Dec 21, 2020
This Morning, I Aligned My Thoughts With Joy & Happiness for 17 Seconds — I was cheating
This Morning, I Aligned My Thoughts With Joy & Happiness for 17 Seconds — I was cheating
The only thing I am in alignment with is my pity party. At least, I like the shoes.
Robin Finn
Dec 14, 2020
When Mom is a Writer
When Mom is a Writer
You are not too small or too busy or too late or too old or too overwhelmed to write. Your words are worthy. Anything else is a lie.
Robin Finn
Dec 7, 2020
The First Thanksgiving Without My Mom
The First Thanksgiving Without My Mom
My mom always said she was thankful, most of all, for her family. This year, her seat was empty.
Robin Finn
Nov 30, 2020
Why I Finally Met with a Grief Counselor
Why I Finally Met with a Grief Counselor
The first therapist I met with wanted to discuss my childhood. I needed to grieve.
Robin Finn
Nov 23, 2020
Thirty Years Ago, I Quit the Sorority and Peed On My Sorority Pin
Thirty Years Ago, I Quit the Sorority and Peed On My Sorority Pin
Thirty years later, a dear friend told me it was time to let it go.
Robin Finn
Nov 16, 2020
I Could Hear “President-Elect Biden” And “Vice President-Elect Harris” Over And Over Again And…
I Could Hear “President-Elect Biden” And “Vice President-Elect Harris” Over And Over Again And…
As a mom of three, a ray of hope blossomed into a giant rainbow on Saturday and Los Angeles chronicled it in photos.
Robin Finn
Nov 8, 2020
Can The Right Pair of Sunglasses Make Life Feel Normal Again?
Can The Right Pair of Sunglasses Make Life Feel Normal Again?
Because everything must be okay if you’re shopping for new frames.
Robin Finn
Nov 2, 2020
During Covid 19, It’s the “Little Things” That Excite Me
During Covid 19, It’s the “Little Things” That Excite Me
I bought a birthday present at a store, started a new Netflix series, dodged an anaphylactic bee sting, and wrote…
Robin Finn
Oct 26, 2020
As a Mom And a Writer, If I Had Not Mastered This Skill Early On, My Writing Career Would Have…
As a Mom And a Writer, If I Had Not Mastered This Skill Early On, My Writing Career Would Have…
I answer questions and go right back to writing. I am a pro at being interrupted.
Robin Finn
Oct 19, 2020
I Always Called My Mom From the Car
I Always Called My Mom From the Car
On my way to Trader Joe’s, I’d share the minutiae of my life.
Robin Finn
Oct 12, 2020
So Many Things I Don’t Want to Think About
So Many Things I Don’t Want to Think About
All of these questions sit inside my chest and I feel bloated on questions.
Robin Finn
Oct 5, 2020
On Yom Kippur, It Is Time To Reconcile With Our Fellow Human Beings, Ourselves, And God
On Yom Kippur, It Is Time To Reconcile With Our Fellow Human Beings, Ourselves, And God
For my mother, I will try.
Robin Finn
Sep 28, 2020
I Lost Track of the Months in April
I Lost Track of the Months in April
I assume November will happen and we will have Thanksgiving. But I am not making any commitments.
Robin Finn
Sep 21, 2020
I Try To Purposefully Move My Thoughts in a More Joyful Direction
I Try To Purposefully Move My Thoughts in a More Joyful Direction
But, unlike writing, letting go doesn’t come easy.
Robin Finn
Sep 14, 2020
I Planned to Have My Midlife Crisis With “Patience” and“Exuberance”
I Planned to Have My Midlife Crisis With “Patience” and“Exuberance”
Instead, I got mourning, neck pain, a pandemic, and taking care of my dog.
Robin Finn
Sep 7, 2020
I Lost the President of My Fan Club
I Lost the President of My Fan Club
Having something wonderful happen to me and not being able to share it with my mother is like having an itch I cannot scratch.
Robin Finn
Aug 31, 2020
I Celebrated My Best Friend’s 50th Birthday This Weekend
I Celebrated My Best Friend’s 50th Birthday This Weekend
During our years of partying and dating and marriage and having kids, we got older and wiser — and luckier to have each other
Robin Finn
Aug 24, 2020
During The Heat Wave, I Want to Tell My Mom I Am Making Sun Tea
During The Heat Wave, I Want to Tell My Mom I Am Making Sun Tea
I wonder if she’ll remember my dad’s technique since he was a sun tea expert. But my mom died eight weeks ago.
Robin Finn
Aug 17, 2020
My Mother’s Favorite Color Was Rainbow
My Mother’s Favorite Color Was Rainbow
Nothing could dim her light — not even my muted pinkish-plum suggestions.
Robin Finn
Aug 10, 2020
Everything is Better with a Dog — Even Grieving
Everything is Better with a Dog — Even Grieving
He Sits With Me When I Look Through My ‘Mom Drawer’ and Licks My Ankle When I Cry
Robin Finn
Aug 7, 2020
Being Tired is Tiring.
Being Tired is Tiring.
It is a feeling of wanting to do nothing but read, eat chocolate, and wander around my yard.
Robin Finn
Aug 2, 2020
About Sleepless in the San Fernando Valley
Latest Stories
Archive
About Medium
Terms
Privacy