Hi Friends, What the World Cup Reminds Me About Us Every four years, something remarkable happens. People from all over the world gather around televisions, crowd into sports bars, wear their country's colors, and cheer with all their hearts for a game. This year, the FIFA World Cup brings together 48 nations from six continents, each with its own language, culture, history, traditions, and way of seeing the world. And yet, for ninety minutes, they're all playing by the same

Hi Friends, My Summer Plans (and None of Them Involve a Yacht) Last week I wrote about giving ourselves permission to be bad at something. Well, now I have a problem. I may actually have to take my own advice. Summer is here, and while I don't have any grand plans, I do have a growing list of things I'd like to try. Not because they'll change my life. Not because they'll make me money. Not because they'll look impressive on social media. Just because they sound fun. For examp

Hi Friends, Somewhere along the way, many of us adults decided that if we weren't naturally good at something, we probably shouldn't do it. As children, we didn't think that way. We fell off bicycles. We misspelled words. We sang off-key. We tried, failed, laughed, and tried again. But as adults, being a beginner can feel uncomfortable. We want to know what we're doing. We want to look competent. We don't want to make mistakes. The problem is that a lot of the best things in

Hi Friends, The Quiet Magic We Miss The other day I came across a little video that completely pulled me out of my own thoughts for a minute. It listed these tiny, fascinating things about animals and nature, and I found myself smiling the entire time. Not because they were life-changing facts but because they reminded me that this world is still full of wonder. And honestly, after some heavier reflections lately about motherhood, midlife, growing pains, and all the emotions

Hi Friends, This week I want to piggy back on last week’s Mother’s Day blog. Every one feels different about how to mother the best way. Even with the same parenting style you can end up with very different results. I realized that kids can’t be programmed, they are meant to be themselves and we are supposed to help them unfold, not fit them in a box. I tried that. And I made a lot of mistakes. I did a lot right, but I missed a lot, too. There really isn’t a big moment, or

Hi Friends, This week I want to share some thoughts about moms. Mother’s Day can bring up so many emotions, especially in midlife. For some women, it is a day filled with laughter, phone calls, flowers, and crowded tables. For others, it can feel quieter, more complicated, or even lonely. I think it is important to remember that motherhood comes in many forms, and every version of it deserves to be seen. Some women are mothers to biological children. Some stepped into the rol

Hi Friends, I recently listened to an interview with the author of Small Things Like These, and it stayed with me long after it ended. She spoke about the real history behind the story, the so-called laundries in Ireland, where young women were sent and often forgotten. These places, known as Magdalene Laundries, were only shut down as recently as the mid-1980s. Hearing that stopped me for a moment. Not just because of how recent it is, but because of what it represents about

Hi Friends,There is something quietly beautiful unfolding in my life right now. In just a few weeks, I will be sitting there, watching my fifth child graduate from college. My heart already feels full just thinking about it. At the same time, I am helping my fourth child move into her new apartment with her husband and a baby on the way. These are big milestones. The kind that mark time. The kind you remember. The month of May seems to carry so many of these moments. Graduati

Hi Friends, Turning the Dial: Small Shifts in Long Relationships Last week we talked about why we go back to bad relationships, but my brain is funny and I get inspired by different things every week. So today, I want to encourage the folks who have been in a long relationship. A relationship where things are not falling apart, they are just a bit quiet, or different, or stale. Because the truth is, most long-term relationships don’t fall apart overnight… they slowly go quie

Why We Go Back (Even When We Know Better) There is a moment many women experience, yet rarely speak about out loud, almost as if saying it would make it too real. It is the moment you open the door again.The moment you answer the message.The moment you allow yourself to believe, quietly and cautiously, maybe this time it will be different. Maybe he has finally understood what you needed all along.Maybe the distance helped him see your value.Maybe the loss changed him in ways

Hi friends, There is something about spring that gently asks us to slow down. Not in a loud or demanding way, but in a quiet invitation… “Look,” it seems to say. “Notice.” And if you allow yourself, even for a moment, you begin to see it everywhere. The way a single leaf, newly born, catches the light just right and casts the softest shadow on a sun-warmed rock. The way the water along the Gulf shifts colors throughout the day, sometimes a pale, glassy blue, sometimes deeper,

Hi Friends, Over the past few weeks, we’ve walked alongside very different women, each of them showing us something honest about courage and possibility. We began with Surya Bonaly, who defied expectations and reminded us that sometimes doing what has never been done matters more than fitting into what is accepted. We then looked at Alysa Liu, whose journey showed us the complexity of success and the importance of listening to ourselves, even when the world is watching. With

Hi Friends, Did you enjoy the women we explored throughout Women’s History Month? The courageous stories, the bold choices, the moments when women stepped forward and changed what seemed possible? Well… today I saved the most important woman for last. She is accomplished, beautiful, intelligent, loving, strong, resilient, and full of quiet grace. If you could see this woman the way I do, you might fall a little bit in love with her. You might find yourself wanting to tell oth

Hi Friends, Last week we celebrated courage on the ice: women who dared to break boundaries, who trusted their own voice, and who followed their path even when it wasn’t the easiest one. Today, I want to highlight a different kind of courage; not the kind that happens in front of cheering crowds or under the bright lights of the Olympic stage, but the quieter, steadier kind that unfolds in meeting rooms, in persistent conversations, and in the unwavering determination of some

Hi Friends, Last week, as we stepped into Women’s History Month, I wrote about the unforgettable moment when Surya Bonaly landed her famous backflip at the 1998 Winter Olympics. It was a moment that still gives people goosebumps when they watch it today. Surya knew the move would not count for points, and she knew it might even cost her with the judges, but she chose to do it anyway. In that brief moment on the ice, she showed the world something powerful, that sometimes the

Hi Friends, It’s March and Women’s History Month. I will put the spotlight on four ladies starting with a three time Olympian who became famous for something other than a medal. From Olympic Cheers to a Backflip That Defied Expectations There’s something electric about watching the Winter Olympics: a blend of grace, strength, and moments that leave you cheering at full volume. This year, we celebrated incredible performances, including a giant win for American star Alysa Liu

Hi Friends, Last week we explored the “turning toward” principle from John Gottman: those small, almost invisible moments when someone reaches for us and we either lean in…or look away. The sigh at the end of the day. The casual “Can I tell you something?” The quiet bid for connection that can be so easily missed. Today, I want to build on that with something deeply practical. A communication structure so simple it almost feels too basic. And yet, it has the power to soften d

Hi Friends, “I wish you had been nicer to me today.” The Small Sentence That Reveals the Health of a Relationship Have you seen that social media trend lately? A woman turns on her camera, sits next to her partner, and calmly says: “I wish you had been nicer to me today.” No yelling. No dramatic accusation. No long speech. Just one simple sentence, spoken quietly, almost carefully. And yet, it lands like a wave. It feels heavy, emotional, and strangely familiar—especially to

Hi Friends, Valentine’s Week: 7 Days of Love (That Have Nothing to Do With Roses) Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that can feel sweet and lighthearted for some people, and heavy or complicated for others. It can bring out excitement, but it can also bring out longing. And for many women in midlife, especially those who have experienced divorce, heartbreak, emotional distance in a long marriage, or simply the quiet loneliness that can come even when you’re surrounded

Hi Friends, February tends to ask the same tired question every year: What does love look like? Hearts, flowers, and romantic promises often dominate the conversation. But for many of us in midlife, love has changed shape. It has been tested by long relationships, stretched by sacrifice, and sometimes broken open by endings we never planned. What if this season isn’t about chasing an old version of love—but honoring how our understanding of it has evolved?Here are three ways