Chicago is my home. I wasn’t born here, but I’m from here. Usually, where we’re from means where we were born. But that’s not the case for everyone. It’s not for me. Home is the place that shapes and influences us more than anywhere else. It’s a
Read more →Goodreads is hosting a giveaway of my first book, When Postpartum Packs a Punch: Fighting Back and Finding Joy. It runs from Nov. 21-28, 2017. Enter here for a chance to win a free copy. Happy reading!
Read more →We all face affliction; we all need hope. Affliction breeds the strongest hope. We may not realize it while we’re stuck in the mire, but it’s there we build strength. Strength that’ll one day bolster others–sometimes sooner than we realize. I talk about this in my book,
Read more →Losing a baby is a tragedy. Whether it’s during pregnancy, or from unexpected complications after the baby is born–the significant grief and pain need to be addressed. If not, they’ll likely resurface, wreaking havoc on our mental health. Definitions and statistics vary for pregnancy loss. The Mayo
Read more →She was a mother of three who shared her faith wherever she went. He was a father of two who collected friends wherever he went. She was no stranger to trauma: an alcoholic dad, two divorces, a victim of rape, and breast cancer. To look at her,
Read more →If you’re a parent who works from home, summer and work-productivity are antonyms. I finally figured that out this year, around early July. When my family and I skipped town on a vacation to British Columbia, I switched off my email and social media for 10 days.
Read more →It’s been almost a decade since I left the East Coast. Mostly, I don’t miss it. That is, until I fall back into the rhythm unique to the corridor between D.C. and Boston. I had a chance to do that on a recent trip to Philadelphia, to
Read more →Suicide is one of the most uncomfortable topics around. If we say we lost someone to suicide, it might be perceived as a weakness, a selfish act, a stain on their character. Not so if they died from cancer or heart disease. But like other ailments, suicide is uninvited. Suicide and
Read more →If you’re a mom or a dad, you’ve known the otherworldly time of pregnancy, childbirth, and just beyond. Whether a new parent or a veteran, you understand that the postpartum season is incomparable. It brings the gift of new life, the fun of seeing your family grow,
Read more →During a recent conversation with my kids, I encouraged them to reach for challenges, even for things that seem unattainable. I shared with them one of my favorite quotes, from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Hitch your wagon to a star.” Sometimes you won’t reach your star, I said,
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