It’s been one of those weeks. Dear friends are negotiating agonizing life events like watching their children suffer through heartbreak, losing old friends to cancer, dealing with cancer themselves, or making very hard decisions about aging, beloved pets. Fortunately, I’m not dealing with an immediate crisis, but I’ve been working on an intense story for The Moth about our unsuccessful fertility treatments several years ago. My husband and I are quite comfortable with how things turned out, but this particular walk down memory lane has been exhausting. Right now, most everyone I know needs a good laugh. [Read more…] about You Can Either Laugh Or Cry
inspiration
Celebrating Ellie
My godchild Elizabeth Bellamy Brown — Ellie — graduates this year. There are all sorts of reasons why I love Ellie and not just because she’s my godchild. Mostly, she’s generous, funny, and has no filter. She says exactly what she means, which is what most of us long to do. She also has Asperger’s Syndrome and OCD, which, if you read my recent blog “Our Battle With OCD,” makes me love her that much more. [Read more…] about Celebrating Ellie
Life is Too Short
You all know I’m a big fan of stepping into our differences and out of our comfort zones. But we also have to be realistic about our creative strengths and weaknesses. This hilarious clip from the BBC show “Life is Too Short” makes the point when Liam Neeson wants to break into comedy. Since I’m also a fan of the creative process, I’ve included the clip that features bloopers from the actors as they try to pull off the scene. Enjoy!
Quote of the Week for May 7
“The fragrance always remains in the hand that gives the rose.” — Heda Bejar
Our Battle with OCD
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.” This quote from Philo of Alexandria (not a household name, but apparently a smart guy) landed in my email inbox two days ago while I was in Minneapolis telling a story with The Moth. I thought of the quote when I was in the airport and the distracted Delta ticket agent was rude to me. Instead of barking back, I tried my best to smile. Who knows what was going on in her world? I thought of it again on my flight home when the lovely woman seated next to me revealed she had just placed her 48-year-old brother in a nursing home after his third debilitating stroke; she was desperate to bring him home to New Hampshire. And I thought of it Tuesday morning when I found my husband, once again, battling his OCD. [Read more…] about Our Battle with OCD