Why Be Kind? Because This Is My Boy
My mommy-sense prickling the back of my neck, I asked him, “Who is saying these mean things to you, baby?”
“The world, mama. The world tells me that.”
How can you tell it’s December? The Elf is on the Shelf
So, yeah… Rebelshire has a fecking elf. He arrived 3 years ago in a fit of desperation on my part. Trapped at home As a stay at home mom of not one, but TWO rambunctious toddlers in a small NYC apartment, I was game to try anything that might get them to calm down as the holidays…
Pick an Answer: The Struggle, Parenthood, or Love.
What is REAL? “Real isn’t how you are made,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.’ ‘Does it hurt?’ asked the Rabbit. ‘Sometimes,’ said…
Seeking: Balance on the Thin Edge of a Coin
Balance. The word tumbles through her mind, like shoes in a dryer, as she washes down her morning meds with cold coffee. What am I doing? Nothing. No, I’m sitting here watching the rain, trying to sort out what to do, and wishing I could do nothing. Read all day. Stay in bed and…
Inspiring Serendipity: a How To List
I’ve mentioned this a time or two before, but music has always been my first love. Not that I’m musically inclined, mind you. My memories have nevertheless always seemed inseparable from the soundtrack. At this point, I could ramble on in 20 directions – each path a song, each inspiring another story, or chapter, or…
Practical Magic: Conjuring More Beautiful Bedtimes with my Daughter
Suddenly we were back to our very early days. My girl, who never wanted to sleep in her crib alone, and me, who just needed her to sleep so I could sleep too.
Now What? Be Fierce, Be Kind, Be Positive
Last night, frightened and anxiously seeking security, I wrapped myself in my fuzzy blanket, snuggled up to my husband, and struggled through a night of fitful sleep. This morning, I woke in the quiet of a new day, perhaps a new moment in history. As I so often do, I snapped a photo of the…
Rejoice! For on the Seventh Day, She Rested
Monday, it’s another Monday. And Mondays are hard, aren’t they? But this is not just any ol’ Monday. There’s a whole host of things that are different about this day, including, but not limited too: This is the Monday following the time shift here in the United States (well, most of them). Always a wonky…
Plus 2 Surprise Babies Makes Us A Lucky Seven
Families are complex. At least mine always has been. Do you remember the Newhart tv series in the 80s with a character called Larry and his brothers, Daryl and Daryl? Well, thanks to my blended family, I actually have three brothers, and two are named James. Although neither went by “James,” as a kid I…
What do you fear you could endure?
What is your biggest fear? There’s an interesting question for someone who struggles with anxiety. My mind immediately jumps to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first inaugural address: “…let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts…“ It turns out,…
Mother of Serendipity 