The Next StepGoing back to school as a working, single parent is hard. Actually, just being a single parent is a lot of work, but add in late night online classes and hours of reading and writing and you’re left with very little downtime. I knew pursuing my master’s degree would be time consuming but I had no idea how regimented my life would become. Nearly every minute of my day is scheduled and accounted for, which unfortunately means I’ve [...]
We don’t always think about them, do we? Many times, we just do what we want and assume nothing bad will happen. We all make mistakes. Consequences are supposed to occur. We learn from them. Allowing consequences to happen is one of the ways I teach my son. If he talks back to me, he doesn't get to watch Garfield or ride bikes with me before bath time. It devastates him when I tell him no. It’s as [...]
Recently, my son and I made a trip to North Carolina so he could spend some time with his dad. We were both excited about the warmer weather and change of scenery. We started our drive on Friday afternoon and arrived at our hotel 5 long hours later. How we made it from Charleston to Charlotte without stopping for food or bathroom breaks took a considerable amount of determination on both our parts, especially while we took turns complaining about [...]
Coffee. It’s a morning staple. Part of my daily routine. I don’t even have to think about what I’m doing. My body just instinctively goes to the pantry, retrieves the bag of ground up goodness, scoops it into the filter, and pours the water. Then I wait while the smell of coffee gradually fills my kitchen. Just a whiff of the aromatic brew can perk my senses check cialis and similar here . How do I feel when [...]
My son was born with an umbilical hernia. It’s a common condition in premature and underweight babies. Umbilical hernias are not usually serious but if the hernia doesn’t heal on its own over time, medical intervention may be required. Three weeks ago I sat in the waiting room of a pediatric surgeon’s office. I had anticipated this day for the past 3 years. I knew it was coming, but I wasn’t looking forward to it. My son’s hernia [...]
I’m a list maker. I always keep a To Do list. I keep one for work tasks and one for personal use. I love to check things off my list once they’re complete. It makes me feel productive and accomplished. For the last 8 weeks “write a First World Problems post” has been on my work list. Each Monday I stare at it and think, What can I write about? What has happened or inspired me in the [...]
Dear friends, The shock of last week's flooding is starting to settle and some people may be experiencing normal, post-traumatic stress reactions. As we come together to help with cleanup, gather supplies and offer our support to those who have been directly affected, here are some tips on how to be a skillful listener: Give empathy for what we have been through Acknowledge that this has been a difficult event Validate that stress reactions are normal Hold hope that these reactions will probably [...]
I don’t have cable; therefore the soundtrack to my daily routine is generally dictated by Spotify’s shuffle feature. Yesterday’s commute to work included a song called Timekeeper. A clock ticks as the music begins to play. The lyrics start as follows: Timekeeper I can't believe how long it's been Timekeeper I wish I could start over again I'm too young to be feeling this way Yeah I'm wasted as I lie awake There goes another day Whoa, timekeeper [...]
The past two weeks have been full of challenges - emotional anxiety, dealing with the loss of a pet, and caring for a sick child, whom I’ve now learned has asthma. A toddler taking albuterol treatments = wild child…but that’s a story for another day. Sunday I decided to shake it off and snap out of the blues. What better way to cheer up than to spend some time perusing Facebook, right? WRONG. Graduation photos, birth announcements and [...]
Have you ever asked someone how they are and actually listened to their answer? Most of us have brief interactions with people each and every day – family members, spouses, children, co-workers, customers, fellow grocery shoppers, or strangers on the street. Our busy schedules and over-committed calendars keep us facing forward, head down, scrolling through our smart phones. Societal pressures have us shuffling from one meeting, appointment or obligation to the next, measuring productivity by checking things off our to-do [...]