In the morning when my alarm goes off, I roll from side to side in my cozy sheets, stretch my legs out long and point my toes. I gently rub my belly and breathe deeply. I wipe my eyes and drink the water sitting on my nightstand before my feet hit the ground. I walk to the window, slide the plush white curtains to the edge, and allow my eyes to get their first glimpse of the morning sky. Inhale & Exhale.
Read MoreMy daughter and I had a great summer. Don’t get me wrong, we have a good relationship and are quite close as I have raised her mainly by myself these past twenty odd years. But there are always stumbling blocks in any relationship, and none can be more tangled than parent and child. Why? Because...
Read MoreI pulled up to the first window and proudly handed over my coupon—the catalyst to my entire visit—and paid. In the back of my brain, I felt like I was missing something, but I whizzed forward anyway. I flew right past that second window...
Read MoreShopping with my Aunt, I stepped into the dressing room. The wall had “yes”, “no” and “maybe” written in black script. It didn’t even take me a moment to realize the power. I instantly saw the small significance; there was no hook to hang “maybe.”
Read MoreA moment on the radio: A guy “pulls out all the stops” for his date and can’t figure out what went wrong. He explains: “I wanted to make a great first impression and really treat her ‘right’ like a true gentleman. I gave her flowers, took her to the best restaurant...
Read MoreDowntown, under the shadow of the skyscrapers, a man walked towards me. I was 70% sure he was going to ask me for money—he had a look of desperation.
“How ya doing?” he called out.
Read MoreCruise goal #1: Connect with crew. For the first time ever, I cruised as a passenger. I worked for Carnival out of college and never sailed as a guest. While on board, I made a special friend and he shared his daily schedule:
“Around 3 O’clock, I take in a coffee.” His words stuck with me. In Spanish, people say “Tomar el café”, or “take in” coffee. Also, contextual to a cruise, “to sunbathe” uses the same verb with “tomar sol.” Apparently, French and Hindi have similar translations: a more purposeful “taking in” of sorts.
Read MoreThis morning I see a child on the early side of toddler, snuggled like a well-placed puzzle piece in his daddy’s arms.
He smiles at me, reaches out with one arm, as if I will be a wonderful new discovery. I reach back…
From behind the wrapping paper doorway, I saw the glow of the Christmas tree lights and I knew magic awaited. My parents, in their genius, “wrapped us kids in” so we would not peak for Santa or packages until it was time. We’d sit by the paper like meowing, hungry cats, pretty much pawing for the unveil. When it was time, we’d burst through the paper like linebackers at the big game. BAAM!
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