Category: Uncategorized
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Making a Case for Restraint
When I was little my nickname was Mouse. I was quiet and reserved, always assessing before speaking and sometimes not talking at all. I often held back in conversation, politely waiting my turn and more than that, waiting for permission…for someone to tell me it was O.K. to say what was on my mind. Once…
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On Giving Grace
Long before I understood if I would, should or could have children, I knew that my firstborn daughter would be named Grace. And so she was. Prior to that, before my husband and I had yet to lay eyes on each other, I further knew that “Amazing Grace” would be the cornerstone song on our…
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What’s Your Why?
On any given day, people all over the world do extraordinary things. Halfway through my journey on this earth, my question is…why? When I was 39, my fast-approaching “big 4-0” loomed large, hovering over me like a lingering cough. There was nothing about aging up into a new decade that I looked forward to, in…
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What Women Really Want for Valentine’s Day
For some people, Valentine’s Day is all about expensive jewelry, overpriced lamb shanks, and a big box of 20,000 calories. For me, however, what resonates on this Hallmark-created holiday is a romantic nine-letter word that’s easy to say, and for some men, hard to do. I’m talking about choreplay. Choreplay involves completing household tasks in…
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The Power of Saying No
From a very early age, my parents taught me to be kind. To everyone. And I am, sometimes to a fault and so much so that with the best of intentions I get myself into trouble. I love connecting and helping others. It’s how I chose my career and why I like to volunteer. Simply…
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A New Meaning for a Traditional Holiday
As parents, my husband and I expect our three teenage children to pull their relative weight in the family. Grades are important, chores mandatory, and the economics of a burgeoning life on their own are discussed and debated in a way that often puts five distinct personalities on close to the same page. When it…
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A Different Spin on Thanksgiving Day
When I was a senior in high school, I applied to two colleges. The first was the school I was destined to attend. The second? An afterthought, just in case the world’s largest sink hole, triggered by a flying unicorn tethered to an alien spacecraft piloted by Tom Cruise, happened to swallow my destiny college…
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Gemini Girl’s Guide to Cocktails and Parenting
As fall break kicks into high gear, Gemini Girl is back with a guide to parenting. And cocktailing. But not necessarily in that order. The Newborn Stage There’s nothing quite like the joy of birthing your first child until you peer down at the area formerly known as your waist to find a post-delivery fat…
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Saying Goodbye to My College-Bound Kid
There’s no denying the reality of my firstborn going away to college. Our tribe of five is now a slightly quieter group of four. There are less dishes to clean and laundry to do. I don’t hear “hey ma” as he rolls out of bed when my day’s half done. And I don’t get his…
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Behind Every Great Dad, There’s a Great Mom
My career trajectory over the past 20 years has been long and broad, with years of working full time, staying at home, and everything in between. I’ve learned that all moms are made of the same DNA, so rather than split our differences, I’d like to highlight the things we share. As moms, we struggle…
READING BETWEEN THE PINES 