• approval seeking,  Friendship and relationship advice,  Health & wellbeing,  Self-care

    Putting yourself last?

    “Sometimes you have to put your own needs first, even if that doesn’t please others. You are not required to set yourself on fire to keep other people warm.” ~Shannon Olson  When I was younger, I often placed the wants and wishes of others before my own — even in matters as simple as choosing where to go out for dinner. Like other women I knew, I allowed myself to remain stuck in second place. Everyone else, it seemed, had greater needs, better ideas, or bigger problems to solve than I had. Even if someone gave me “permission” to put myself first, I felt guilty when I did so. Thankfully,…

  • Autumn,  Featured,  Halloween,  Where I'm published

    My Halloween story in Bella Grace

    “Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and the darkness took on a special feel because it was All Hallows’ Eve.” ~Ray Bradbury Bella Grace is the first magazine I reach for when I want to calm down, escape the hard news, and tune out the white noise around me. I often refer to it as a grown-up picture book, with dreamy images that never fail to transport me to another place and time.  So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to get my work published in the Autumn 2021 issue (Issue 29). My essay, “I’ve Never Outgrown the Magic of Halloween,” is featured in…