And a rejection from one doesn’t mean your story is doomed — We’ve all read the advice one thousand times: Get your articles published in publications—you’ll get more views, more reading time, and therefore, more $$$$. And I’m a big believer in the power of publications here on Medium—I submit most of my pieces to them. But every once in a while…

It’s more damaging than supportive. — What is the first thing we say when someone we know loses weight? “Wow, you look great!” Yes, it’s true that sometimes when people lose weight, they want it to be acknowledged by others. But it’s important to remember that that is not a generalization that can be assumed of…

Each tiny piece brings a much bigger picture together — How many times have you started a new fitness or wellness program, only to quit after a week or two because you’re so overwhelmed by everything that you need to change in order to meet your goals? I call this action paralysis: when there is too much in front of…

It was nothing short of a nightmare. — When Covid hit in 2020, I suddenly became aware of the backup childcare program that my employer offered. It had always been there, I’m pretty sure, but I had never needed to take advantage of it. You see, back then, BC (before Covid), kids could still go to daycare or…

I’ve been through both. And the latter ain’t pretty. — When I was pregnant with my first, I turned 34 just before delivery. My “condition” as defined by my medical records was “pregnancy.” During my second go ‘round, I was 37 and turned 38 shortly before delivery. That time, my condition was much more serious. It was a geriatric pregnancy…

How do we let go when they haven’t let go yet? — A few months ago, I got a phone call. My grandmother was in the hospital, my mother told me, and things didn’t look great. Over the next 24 hours, we all braced for the inevitable. We each started grieving in our own way. My sister visited some sights of our…

Omicron has us all feeling a little less crafty. — March 2020: The world is on lockdown. My entire instagram feed is full of freshly baked loaves of sourdough bread, new knitting and crochet projects, and sponsored posts by at-home paint-by-number kits that are supposed to make you feel like Picasso. January 2022: We’re not quite on lockdown, but it…

Really, you can’t. — Did you set New Year’s Resolutions or goals? Do you already feel the weight of them bearing down on your shoulders? There’s just one thing you need to remember: You Can’t Mess This Up. Just Keep Going. Set-backs are not failures. Mistakes, stumbles, imperfections are not failures. If you just…

And which ones to toss in the trash. — Ah, January. We all either love it, hate it, or love to hate it. It’s the season of resolutions, of goals, of love-yourself-but-first-do-this-to-make-yourself-better. But not all goals are equal. (Since the term “resolutions” can be polarizing, for the sake of sanity, we’ll go with goals here.) Many will tell you…