I was chatting with an acquaintance yesterday, and she asked how my business was doing during the pandemic. I said it’s been hit pretty hard, but I’m hanging in there. She admitted her business has been affected to, and then said, “But I swear if I hear the word “pivot” one more time . ....
I’m working on embracing impermanence. I’ve been reading When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron, and she reminds us that impermanence is our natural state. Babies don’t stay babies, people live and die, jobs come and go. But it’s not just reflected in the big things, it’s also the little things that happen every day....
“I just can’t wait till things go back to normal.” How many times have you heard someone say that on a news broadcast lately? How many times has that thought crossed your own mind, even if you don’t believe it’s really possible? Living in this time of COVID-19 is hard, and one of the things...
A friend related a story on social media the other day about meeting a wonderful couple at the train station and bonding with them during a two-hour waiting period. It was clear how much joy that encounter brought her. It reminded me of a similar experience I had last week on a plane ride home...
Well, this is interesting, I’ve noticed an influx lately in books and podcasts and TED Talks geared toward enabling introverts to feel their self-worth and helping them maneuver in an “extrovert world.” Out of curiosity, I clicked over to Amazon and did a search in books for the word “introvert,” and dozens of titles came...
Yes, this is a picture of actor/activist George Takei holding my children’s book, The No-No Boys! I heard him speak recently at the National Speakers Association convention. When he came out on stage, everyone expected him to talk about his role as Mr. Sulu on Star Trek or his pop culture persona or his enormous...
Tomorrow, a houseful of relatives arrive. Friends have asked me how I can stand to have 13 people in my house and if it doubles my stress at the holidays. The answer to that is yes, a bit, but so what? Christmas, to me, is about giving. Isn’t that what we tell our children? Wouldn’t...
I have two necklaces that I count among my favorites. Every time I wear each of them, I’m guaranteed a compliment. One was made by a local artist I met at a craft show. I’ve bought several pieces from her over the years. The other I purchased at Macy’s department store. It’s from the 1928...
One of my favorite things about December is the call to action to support charities and nonprofits. I donate to several nationwide and global organizations, but I also enjoy finding those smaller, local nonprofits quietly going about great work in our communities. A donation to their organizations is always treated with such a wealth of...
My daughter called Tuesday night in a panic. She is competing this week at a national speech and debate tournament and had encountered a judge whose behavior was shockingly unprofessional. He would watch thirty seconds of a performance, scrawl a nasty note like, “I hate it,” on his notepad, and then play on his phone...