“Your doctor called you lucky after your son died?” You asked? He sure did, Neighbor…and here’s what I later gleened from that experience… …………… “You’re lucky we were able to do a bikini cut,” my obstetrician said to me during my six-week checkup. Lucky? I sat across from this man who had come to know my body—well, certain parts like … Read More
Ask Annah: Can I Say Screw You to the New-Year-New-You Resolutions Hype?
Dearest Journeyer, Your inbox is filled with NEW-YEAR-NEW YOU invites to every type of inspirational class and program known to man. Your friends are breaking out words for the year of 2018: TRUST! FLOURISH! REFLECT! DRIVE! DANCE! People are posting vision boards and nearly shouting how they are signing up for weight loss programs, writing classes, and locking in one-year … Read More
I Matter
No matter our location, our age, our temperament, our prestige, or our personality, we will somewhere, sometime, encounter people who treat us as inferior. Often those people are strangers, sometimes colleagues, yet sometimes those people are friends, and sometimes, sadly, family… As I typed the word sadly I thought about what a therapist once said, “We don’t have to … Read More
Breaking Out of Our Comfort Zones
On a recent trip to Sam’s Club for a few groceries, Warren purchased a bouquet of flowers for me. Just to say I love you was the occasion. He’s done that periodically over the past six years, bring me small gifts for no apparent reason. As I stared at the turtle pin that headlined my recent Going for It post, … Read More
On Validation and the Value of Self Worth
As I sat in my therapist’s office last week, a small truth began to unfold before my eyes. “I guess I’ve just always been looking for validation,” I said. Learning. Growing. Understanding, Journeyers. That’s half the battle. As those words tumbled from my mouth, I remembered a conversation with my first successful therapist. I say “first successful” because my parents … Read More
On Courage, Wisdom, and Triumph
I try to refrain from writing a great deal about my children for two specific reasons. Firstly, I don’t want to be one of those parents who whip out the six-foot accordion file of wallet photos when asked about my cherubs. And secondly, they have surpassed that age of “Look, MOM! TAKE A PICTURE OF ME!” but haven’t yet come … Read More
On Sense and Sensitivity
“I have more awareness of other people and, I hope, more sensitivity to their needs. I also find that I’m more direct and outspoken.” ~Christopher Reeve One of my most beautiful, longstanding friendships has been disintegrating for years now. Several of them, actually, have experienced varying degrees of altered states. And I’ve recently come to realize that I‘ve been the … Read More
Shoring Up Life’s Threads
“I’m glad to hear you are alright. Karen’s husband died last night so at least there is some good news. It’s been bad all morning.” That was the note returned to me after I texted a coworker to let her know how my surgery went last Friday. The message stayed with me, even through the grogginess of anesthesia … Read More
Can’t versus Don’t Want To
Last fall I discovered this amazing little app. C25K. Couch to a 5k. I started the program with great gusto. But this underlying attitude ensured a quick demise. “I’m not a runner.” Can’t Never Could And then a friend asked me if I wanted to try and lose weight with her. “You’re the only one I can do it with,” … Read More