Real Talk

What do you say to your family when you are not sure if it will be the last thing you say? A little back story: In November, I got a cold and my left ear clogged up. I assumed it was all related, but after 3 ENT visits, 2 hearing tests, 1 CT scan, 1 MRI scan and a visit with a neurologist, we discovered it was a little bit more then that. There is a small bone missing around my brain and it is causing spinal fluid to leak into my left ear. This, of course, leads to several concerns like the possibility of a brain infection and hearing loss. The ending result to all of the tests and...

Dancing and 20 Minutes of Action I was 18 years old. Most people had gone home or to the beach for spring break. I went to Tigerland. I was a partier and a typical freshman. I drank. I flirted. I danced. I showed up to class when I wanted to. That night no one found me by a dumpster while a man was forcing himself on me. I woke up alone, on a bed at a friend of a friend’s house. I walked out of the apartment, stepping over passed out undergrads. I hobbled as I put on my boots. I was sore. Why was I so sore? What happened last night? The days that followed were a blur but came...

I recently ran to a friend's house to pick up a hand-me-down (go figure. With four kids, we live for hand-me-downs). As she opened the door, she sheepishly said, "Please excuse our mess!" Understandingly, I replied with a very Clueless-style, Cher Horowitz classic: "As if!" I explained to her that our place is always a mess, but I was not prepared for her response. "No, it isn't. I've seen pictures you post on Facebook. Your place is always so clean!" Like with any image on Facebook, I assured her that she wasn't getting the full scope. After my many thanks, I drove off in thought about exchange. Was I incidentally sending the message that I've got my house together? Did...

November is the month in which most American families celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. A holiday full of warmth, family, friends, and an abundance of food. It’s supposed to have that proverbial table that’s long enough to seat everyone and make them feel invited. Dishes are passed around, willingly shared, as everyone lists the reasons for which they are grateful. A prayer is said to the heavens above and everyone eats until they are full. Sometimes, afterward, there is a gathering of football fans in front of the television set. In a perfect world, Uncle Roger doesn’t mention that the women who’ve cooked all day should also do the dishes and Aunt Edna squeezes you into a hug, listing some positive...

I work from home. And I am a mom. But it isn’t what you envision. Work from Home Moms (and dads for that matter) can be considered as "lucky" by others because people assume they’ve got an easy job that allows them to keep their kids at home and care for them while working. Insert big eye roll here. While there are some jobs that can be done from home while simultaneously caring for children, handling household tasks and basically momming ALL DAY, they are few and far between. I worked in a corporate office setting for 10+ years. When my husband accepted a new job 2 hours away from our corporate office, we moved, and I became a remote employee....