Real Talk

“I’ll message you later.” It’s more commonplace than “I’ll see you later” or even “I’ll call you later.”  It’s easier. It’s more convenient. It’s more efficient. But are all these different methods of communication cutting us off from one another a little too much? Texting, emailing, audio messaging, and social media are becoming the go-to for reaching out and connecting to people. This applies not just to acquaintances but even to family and close friends. But confusion occurs when the line between our 762 Facebook friends and our handful of ride-or-die people is blurred. Unfortunately, the line continues to fade with time by our reluctance to drop by and visit or simply pick up the phone to check in every now...

How do you grieve, cry, get through personal challenges while ‘the show must go on’… being a mom? Mom is supposed to be the fearless emotional backbone of the family, the one our babies come to when they fall down and the one they want a hug from when their heart gets broken, but what happens when mom ‘breaks’? Mom will physically keep going even when she is emotionally falling apart. As a mother of three boys who has been through harder days than easier, childhood trauma and situational instability, the one thing I have learned through it all is just that… ‘the show must go.’ The important thing I have learned is emotionally sharing that journey with my children and being open....

A little over a year ago, I was sitting in the living room of my sister's Seagrove beach house (good lord, the privilege and pretension in that comment makes me cringe) on what I thought was just a quick spring break trip before rounding out the school year and preparing for our usual summer travels. On our last night there, we were discussing the outbreak of the coronavirus with my sister (a doctor) and her husband; they commented that they thought their European trips that summer would be postponed. We were all confused and concerned. We were still hopeful. Three weeks later, the world as we knew it came to a screeching halt.  As a public school teacher, I'd worriedly...

  Often life throws us curveballs. We planned one way and it ended another. The decision was made but we changed our minds. Instead of a period, life throws a big question mark our way. Recently I was given a big question mark in a place I thought for sure was a period. This got me wondering. How do we adjust to a situation where we simply have no control? On the plus side a period means we know for sure, it’s finite. Albeit good or bad, it’s definite. A question mark is unknown; however, it leaves in its wake possibility. Perhaps the end result will be great or it may be a great big failure. I’ve decided I like periods....

The friendship between the young mom and the veteran mom; it happens accidentally. It is a slow start. At first, there is the Boyz II Men VS Jonas Brothers discussion. The generational gap is acknowledged. Then fashion advice is given. Only certain tennis shoes should be worn with jeans. This is a fact. At this point, a smooth give and take is established. The young mom will give all the fashion advice ever needed. Teach you what a loaded tea is and why it is needed to survive. Recommend the best drug store makeup dupes. Always know the best TV shows. Show you the right bloggers to follow. Teach you about LIKEtoKNOW.it The veteran mom will give you all the...