“I … hope that there is meaning in mess and pain, that more will be revealed, and that truth and beauty will somehow win out in the end.” — Anne Lamott Life is messy, sometimes unbelievably messy. What enables us to survive, more or less intact? …

In her book of essays, poet Mary Oliver wrote, “…you must not, ever, give anyone else the responsibility for your life.” It’s a lesson I learned the hard way, after breaking free of a very long, unhappy marriage. I learned it once more, as if to make sure I understood…

Are all of these delightful moments too much to ask of life? — I don’t know why finding what we need in life and then being happy with it is so hard. I think most of us want the same things: connection, acceptance, affection, and respect. Love. Like most of the single, straight women I know, I’m still waiting — but I’m no…

He wants to stay for a month, but a month is a long time to spend with a complete stranger, and my recent experience with a BnB guest who had to be forcefully evicted by my beefy next-door neighbor hasn’t left me in a trusting state of mind. “OK…but we’ll…

“Please believe me. I never expected to find someone like you,” Mehmet says, across the restaurant table. “I like you. I really like you.” “I really like you too,” I reply, not sure where he’s going with this. When his dark eyes fill with emotion, I know there is more…

The bread man came twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. An unsmiling man who looked like Ernest Borgnine, he delivered loaves of white bread devoid of nutrition, and as a special treat, our mother would buy us a six-pack of pink-frosted chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles. Everything he brought us…

In doing some browsing on Medium’s most popular articles and SEO tags, I discovered that poetry is right up there at #2, after “Life.” Who knew? I’ve long written poetry as an outlet for my emotions, from awe to gratitude to despair. I write about motherhood, which touched me deeply…

Sometimes, all we need is a little spark… — Down on your luck — or down on yourself? Need some inspiration? I’ve collected all of my most inspirational stories in one place. Pick and choose which stories resonate with you most. Most of these stories are less than a 5-minute read, or a 5-minute listen. Just click on the…

10 Glimpses from a New Mexico Transplant — Yes, northern New Mexico is this blue and this golden, especially in mid-October of any particular year. Autumn is my favorite season, and this is my favorite month. The air temperature is a pleasant 83 degrees, and the sky is cloudless. Why doesn’t everyone in the lower-48 states want to…