No man is an island… I not ashamed to say that I need my girlfriends. I need those friendships possibly more than any other relationships. While we may be culturally programmed to settle down and bear offspring, we are also inherently programmed to be social, interconnected beings. My stubborn independence is fundamental to who I…
Read more 50 Stories, Week 31: To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before, Part 2
Nine years ago today, I was contemplating whether or not to meet up with the brother of an old acquaintance on a blind date at a bad Mexican restaurant. 2011 thus far had been monumental. Early in the year, I finished my yoga teacher training and volunteered in Brazil. In the spring, I was on…
When I think about the original intent of this 50 Stories project, a sort of reverse bucket list, I realize that many of my most memorable moments would not have been possible without the love and support of my girlfriends. I only wish I’d had this wisdom early on. When I was little, I was…
Read more 50 Stories, Week 27: To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before, Part 1
Short, raw, off the cuff… This is my Mom. She was a babe back in 1950, right? She’s 88 years old now and has no big health issues (except a bad cancer diagnosis last year, which she miraculously continues to keep at bay.) She’s been a mother to five, a grandmother to ten, and a…
Over Christmas break in 1986, I was laying on my bedroom floor, listening to New Order’s “Shellshock,” and sobbing. Heaving melodramatic sobs. The kind that prompted my sister to yell from the kitchen, “Stop being so dramatic!” I felt my tears were warranted as my boyfriend Laurent* had just informed me that he was in…
Read more 50 Stories, Week 6: My virginity, a break-up, and my BFF.
No one was listening when Vlad told us what to do if it started raining. My fight or flight instinct had kicked in and I ran with an urgency I hadn’t felt since I was a child being chased on the playground. Behind me, I could hear a combination of nervous laughter, cursing, and Vlad…
Today is my 50th birthday. Many people reach this age and start thinking about their bucket-list. A sense of urgency creeps in with the realization that there are only so many vacations left, books to read, friendships to make, and adventures to have before it’s all over. I’ve decided to share my reverse bucket-list, or…
Before I get into my trip to Italy, I’ve had something else on my mind this past week, this trip, this lifetime. Being understood. I read a quote recently that “being loved is great, but being understood is profound.” I heard that and I thought YES! Of course we need love but we also need…
I joined a meet-up for Stepparents. I’m not a joiner, so this was difficult for me. I like to try new things, see what sticks, but once I decide to do something with regularity (re: yoga for the last 25 years,) I end up hating the joiner culture that surrounds it. Most would call this…
Failing better. 