I’m in a weird phase of my writing life. It’s not that what I’m writing is weird (though admittedly sometimes I have strange ideas). It’s more that my focus is all over the place. I’ve always wanted to write a book. When I started blogging in 2014, I planned...
If Ghosts Could Write
When I was little, my mom was editor of The View, a community newspaper in our California hometown. Today I came across a photo of us marching together in a parade in April 1982. I don’t remember the experience, but I know I must have felt pretty important to...
Writing Through Life’s Messy Middle
This month, I started taking an online writing course through the HerStories Project, a writing community for Gen X women “in the messy middle of life.” I have mixed feelings about this mid-life thing. At times, my brain is firmly stuck in the adolescent years. I’m intimidated by the...
On Trophies and Other External Rewards
Recently, I felt like a fraud telling my daughter that trophies don't matter as much as believing in yourself. Haven't I, like my kids, relied on external results as proof that I’m good at something?...
Parenting in an Always-On Digital Age
If you’re a parent, chances are you’ve heard about this article by Christie Tate, which appeared last week in the On Parenting section of the Washington Post: “My daughter asked me to stop writing about motherhood. Here’s why I can’t do that.” Since reading the article, I haven’t been...