I’ve always believed I was doing “okay.” Not perfect, not magically healed, but okay enough to function, laugh, work, parent, and keep life moving. I thought I had made peace with losing my mother. I thought the grief had settled into something manageable — something I could carry without dropping everything else. Turns out, I was wrong. Woman in a gray sweatshirt sits by a misty lake at sunrise, back to camera, with windblown hair and a calm mood. I coped through laughter, t

A real look at The Preteen Plot Twist No One Warns You About — the sudden attitude shifts, emotional rollercoasters, and unexpected distance that hit during the tween years, plus practical ways to stay connected and grounded as a parent.

Are you tired of feeling like you are stuck in a cycle of negative thoughts and emotions? It is all too easy to become mired in doubt, worry, or regret, so that they overwhelm the present and steal our serenity. But the good news is that we can break free from these mental chains, and the power to do so is ours. Letting go of negativity does not mean living in denial; it’s simply a choice to live a healthier and more peaceful life, no matter the challenges that come your way.

A week or so ago someone asked me what I was doing for the holidays. I said the usual, staying home, being with Tim and the kids and hosting