Love and human connection, no matter how frightening, are the only things that can break you out of the house of mirrors that narcissists live in every day. “I just can’t stand it—her out there thinking about me like that,” said the guy across the table from me. He was talking about a woman back […]
Perfection is the archenemy of productivity and happiness. For many years, I wrote mostly in my head. I might spend an entire day or even a week formulating a single sentence, turning the words over in my mind like agates in a tumbler until they came out gleaming and smooth, ready at last to be committed to […]
If my body in a swimsuit offends my fellow beachgoers, screw ’em. The constant reminders that there are ONLY THREE MONTHS LEFT before bikini season reminds me of last summer when I was packing for a trip to the beach. I was a little worried about the effect my un-toned body would have on fellow […]
While I always knew the politics of baby naming was a volatile sport, I didn’t fully understand how true that was until we shared our naming decisions with others. When I found out about my pregnancy in November—three months into what I like to call “the incubation”—my partner and I were firm on two things: […]
When I visited a nude beach, I realized the only person making me uncomfortable was me. I lifted my shirt over my head, took a deep breath, and pulled the strings of my bathing suit top loose. Immediately, my mind began to race. What if people stare at me? I wish I would’ve spent more […]
The intimacy I experienced with my body and my developing baby during pregnancy was perhaps the most compelling transformation I have ever known. Why would I want to erase that? A close friend of mine from graduate school was in town over the weekend, someone I hadn’t seen since I was mid-way through my pregnancy. […]
We share so much of our lives online, but it seems like in the name of political correctness, there are suddenly so many rules about what can and cannot be discussed with another person—even with a friend. We gathered in the center of our cubicle farm—the four women I share the space with stood around […]
After 18 surgical procedures in 30 months, we learned the Unknown had delivered to us the rarest of rare birds to raise and love, one who still sings but softer than before. I handed over my car keys to my daughter the day after she passed her driver’s test with a score of 89. Her […]
