Last Thursday I drove to L.A. to attend an author book event at the Ms. Magazine (as in, the feminist journal) headquarters. Just writing that makes me feel cool. I was curious to see Dr. Sharon Malone interviewed about her new bestselling book, Grown Women Talk. I was also intrigued…
It was the night before our long-awaited 25th anniversary trip to Costa Rica. I left an acupuncture appointment with eight sexy (not!) cupping marks on my back, which would be in full display on my bathing-suit-laden vacation. I didn’t care. I finally felt well after two weeks…
We have a magnificent fig tree in my backyard. Every August, without fail, it produces hundreds of lush figs. I love to pick them, eat them, and share them with my fig-loving friends. And, a few weeks, the explosion of fruit is mostly gone. The dark green leaves gradually…
The day before my wedding, while trying on my dress for any final tweaks, I was nervously and distractedly voicing random worries. My aunt put her hand on my shoulder to pause my anxious energy, looked into my eyes, and shared some invaluable advice. It went…
This week, I was editing my book chapter entitled “Our Shared Wisdom,” where I relay nuggets of wisdom conveyed by the interviewees from my research on midlife women. Amidst all of their wonderful insights, one particular piece of advice lingered with me for days afterwards: “Stay the course.” The…
This past weekend, while my husband was in Berkeley helping our daughter Maya move, I happily stayed home alone (well, alone with Nola, our sweet doggie). While I love my husband, I was also looking forward to solo time – undistracted writing time interspersed with…
The words “the holidays” are incredibly loaded. Just hearing them can make us freeze in our tracks and automatically start mentally writing our to-do list – the presents, the meals, the hosting, the decorating, the baking, etc. And, as women, much (I daresay most) of…
I have a new favorite word that captures midlife – liminal, as in a liminal space. It comes from the Latin word ‘limen’ which means threshold. So, the words “liminal space” refer psychologically to the threshold between what was and what will be. Liminal is a…
This Too Shall Pass Even Covid and … Helloooo lovely women in the middle. Welcome to a New Year! I’m not sure about you, but I’m finding it a bit challenging to connect with the “Happy New Year” chant, what with the raging pandemic and its…
There’s a reason why, on September 19th, I’m putting on a Morning of Meditation. It starts about seventeen years ago. Back then, my life was a “textbook” case for happiness. Every key checkbox of fulfillment was marked: Ph.D., successful career, caring friends, great health, lovely home, wonderful…