#30BrighterDays

Maybe tomorrow #30BrighterDays

Last night all the sleep interventions failed me– the relaxation sounds, the deep breathing, the variations of heat and weight–even the as-needed prescription. I avoided a complete freak-out by watching old Annie Broadway audition videos while Husband slept beside me. Earbuds are a miracle. YouTube is a miracle. Watching kids get a casting call from Broadway is a miracle. However, if you’re thinking that 5-11 year-olds belting Hard Knock Life doesn’t portend a sleep miracle, you are correct. When a person reaches insomnia level orphan choreography, all sleep hygiene bets are off. Maybe I got… Read More »Maybe tomorrow #30BrighterDays

Flip Your Puzzle Piece #30BrighterDays

In graduate school, Mary Jo Barrett introduced me to the concept of vulnerability and resilience as two sides of the same puzzle piece. I almost went digging through boxes in the basement to see if I could locate the actual worksheet, but you and I both know that after 90 minutes of excavation I’d be sitting in a sad pile of empty CD cases, old VHS tapes, and kindergarten hand print art (sniff). To sum it up, if you make a list of all your own least favorite traits– we’ll call those your vulnerabilities– that same… Read More »Flip Your Puzzle Piece #30BrighterDays

I haz no coffee but I can haz cans #30BrighterDays

In a few hours I’m scheduled for a minor out-patient medical thing. What that means for this morning is no coffee, no yogurt fruit and granola, no water. Did I mention no coffee? Oh and I am afforded one–exactly one–pee. However, it also means I slept in while my eight-grader got himself up and out of the house, I have a little time to write, and I do get to brush my teeth! Let your cans meet your can’ts today. This post is part of #30BrighterDays; a thing I made up to brighten each day… Read More »I haz no coffee but I can haz cans #30BrighterDays

Our sunshine, our scourge, our Toby tuxedo cat #30BrighterDays

It’s been introspection central around here, so today I shall brighten your day or possibly terrify you with our cat. Oh my, our cat. Toby Toblerone (not #sponsored) Tobias aka… Señor: Our sunshine, our scourge. We raised a pair of cats from 6 months to 15 years without ever experiencing any one–not to mention ALL– of the following: Toby climbs screen door, hangs, shows off his tuxedo. Toby jumps on counter, steals entire piece of pizza, leads family on pizza chase–full pizza slice dangling from crust in mouth, several times around open floor plan. Toby rockets four… Read More »Our sunshine, our scourge, our Toby tuxedo cat #30BrighterDays

Practice makes possible #30BrighterDays

Yesterday I texted my friend Vikki to tell her the power #30BrighterDays has had on my outlook. I feel centered, lighter, and more inspired since I dedicated November to writing and posting daily. I feel more like myself. The accountability of both writing and hitting publish is doubly-effective for me right now as an anti-perfectionism practice. Knowing you’re out there reading this and hearing back from some of you when I resonate–it creates a transaction, a flow. I approached #30BrighterDays with the intention of this practice brightening my day as well as yours. I know… Read More »Practice makes possible #30BrighterDays

Is it always “or”? Is it never “and”? #30BrighterDays

I spent my childhood and young adulthood consumed with musicals. Luckily for me, my crush on the theater plus years of voice lessons culminated in many superb opportunities to play amazing roles. In my twenties, I gladly left my first love, the stage, for the workaday/live-in boyfriend night life. I tried on different professional hats, and eventually landed my dream role at age 29: new mom. Still, I left a piece of myself on that musical theater stage. It swells in my chest and chokes me with feeling every time I sit in a Broadway… Read More »Is it always “or”? Is it never “and”? #30BrighterDays

More Layers Than Sides #30BrighterDays

My friend Taya once responded to a conflict in which she was asked to choose a side “There are more layers than sides.” I loved her nuanced thinking, not only as a push back again unnecessary alliances, but also as a way of acknowledging that oftentimes no one person can see the full picture. Taya’s layers can also prove helpful to extrapolate when it comes to decision-making. When called to choose a path, it’s so easy for me to fall into black and white thinking, and the illusion of right and wrong choices. I say… Read More »More Layers Than Sides #30BrighterDays

All In #30BrighterDays

My default setting too often tips toward the “no” side when it comes to spontaneity and adventure. Thankfully, I’ve learned to push through my initial tendency toward resistance, and move the needle closer to yes more often and more enthusiastically. Once in a while, and among certain individuals, I’m unequivocally one thousand percent on board, all in, YES from the get-go. This past weekend? I was ALL IN. I think it shows. This post is part of #30BrighterDays; a thing I made up to brighten each day of November

They still play #30BrighterDays

A couple years ago my kids let me know that “play dates” would now be called “hang outs.” They still planned to have friends over, yes, but the kids would now hang, not play. I braced myself for the end of play, and took small comfort that at least no one would likely prevent me from serving popcorn or brownies to our monosyllabic non-blinking blue-lit basement dweller guests. Around this same time we underwent the task of changing the former basement playroom into more of a teen lair, complete with a drum set (my younger… Read More »They still play #30BrighterDays

Show Your Work #30BrighterDays

College Graduation: I stood grinning in cap and gown imagining a tower of all the papers written, all the blue books filled, and all the notes taken those four years. It filled me with pride and satisfaction. I didn’t sit in judgement over the content of what I’d written or how I’d performed, but rather I stood in awe at the massive amount of work completed. Best. Feeling. Ever. I love accomplishing. I especially love having accomplished. Then I speed along and forget. Sound familiar? Some writers hate reading their old work, some speakers wince… Read More »Show Your Work #30BrighterDays