Overcoming Childhood Trauma Often Starts with Escaping the Fight or Flight Response George and Betty’s doors were buttoned up tightly the day I stood on the side of my house metamorphosing into a twelve-year-old hustler. But smoke billowed from my neighbors’ chimney, so I knew they were home. They were my best option for getting…
As of late, the times have most certainly been uncertain. In the face of COVID-19 we swish this way and that, adhering to guidelines, rules, and often inconsistent legal implementations. Most people I know feel, to some degree, the uncertainty of their health, work, and most of all, life as they knew it. And what…
It’s nearly here–Mother’s Day–a holiday associated with love and positivity, gratitude and adoration. But what if you don’t have those feelings? What if you feel motherless on Mother’s Day? Perhaps you’re like me and your mom died when you were young. Or, maybe you don’t have a good relationship with your mother, or for that…
Sometimes life is hard. To be honest, it’s not so great right now. And aside from a global pandemic, don’t we all have a story, or two, or ten, about just how hard it is? I’m here to tell you that it’s hard for everyone. For some more than others. But if you lean in,…
I was in an awkward yoga pose the other day. One leg here. The other there. Twisted and contorted at the waist, it seemed as though I was sipping each breath through a straw. I wanted to collapse––to curl up in the fetal position. I wanted to give up. “Be proud and full of grace,”…
Years ago, I felt stuck in my career. I was a burned out criminal trial lawyer. I’d lost the excitement, the thrill of pleading my case. It was hard to rationalize not being a lawyer after spending so many years in school and building my practice. So, I kept trudging through—feeling more stuck each day. …
There comes a point in every relationship when the butterflies fly away and the spark feels more like a sputter and we eventually ask ourselves—is my relationship working? We wonder if this person who once made our cheeks hurt from laughing is really making us happy. Sure, there are always the little irritations that come…
Why is it so important to do the things that light you up–the things you truly love–the things that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Because it’s why you’re here. Doing what lights you up is a huge part of why you’re here on Earth. Think about it like this…what if we’re all…
He’s gone? My Finn? Could he really be gone? My one-of-a-kind dog. My lifesaver. My everything. Nothing after Finn died was tangible except my grief and my longing for his deep, warm eyes to look at me lovingly just once more. Even though I didn’t plan it or know I needed it, for all of…
Growing up, my mom often said “shame on you” when I did something she didn’t approve of. Back then it was a common phrase I heard from mothers all over the neighborhood. (As an added bonus, we also got the simultaneous index finger rubbing motion.) At the time, I didn’t really understand what the shame…
My husband, David, does irritating things. Most of them are your typical, run-of-the-mill guy things, such as leaving his dirty dishes near the dishwasher, but never in the dishwasher, and throwing his stinky socks near the hamper, but never in the hamper. I’m sensing a pattern here, are you? (One thing he never does though…