Magicify Your Life

Full disclosure: I’m not an actual magician. 

Build a Mental Wellness Toolkit

As we face the COVID-19 Pandemic, we’re all making preparations to keep ourselves safe, like stocking up on medical supplies and food, practicing social distancing, and being vigilant about handwashing. But what are we doing to protect our mental health?

When Your Child Is Somewhere Between ‘Sick’ and ‘Healthy’

When our son was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition shortly after birth, the first question my husband and I asked was, “What do we do?”

The answer will not surprise anyone who has dealt with a rare illness: wait.

21 Everyday Adventures in Creativity

Kids somehow know they need creative activities every day to stimulate their minds and release their emotions — from finger painting to singing silly songs to making up games at recess. But adults, oh, we’re the worst. We think of creative activity as inessential, something better left to artists who are good at it. We are wrong. 

Make Room for Magic

Want to magicify your life, but not sure where to begin? The beginning is an excellent place!

Birthday Magic: Fill a Mailbox with Love

 

Remember when getting the mail used to be fun? Long before junk mail and bills and email spam and all the other delights of adulthood, mail was special.

How My Dog Found Me – Twice

Not long after our beloved 13-year-old Simba passed, I came across an adorable little dog wandering in our neighborhood.

The Magic of Multitasking and Other Lies We Tell Ourselves

For a while there, multitasking was the buzzword for success. Women could have it all — career, marriage, kids, friends, hobbies, beauty — through the magic of multitasking. But like shoulder pads and greed and everything else that “worked” in the ’80s, it turns out cramming a thousand things into every single moment is actually a pretty bad thing.

Surviving the “Sad Internet”

When the sound of my crying wakes my husband Lex in the middle of the night, it’s usually because I’ve read something incredibly sad on the internet. Abused animals, hungry children, acts of unimaginable violence — somehow, the most depressing news of the day always finds me.

“Where do you get these stories?” he asks. “Are you on the Sad Internet again?”

How the Rare Disease Community Made Me a Better Person

On Rare Disease Day, it’s important to remember that parents of medically complex children aren’t heroes; we’re just regular people doing the best we can to love our kids through difficult circumstances.

While I’m no hero, I do believe I’m a better person because of what my child and others in this community have taught me.

5 Books to Magicify Your Life

Stephen King said, “Books are uniquely portable magic.” Here are a few especially magical stories that open up a whole new world of possibilities.

The Worst of Times

Friend via text: How have you been? 

Me:  “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Friend: That quote feels familiar…?

(Charles Dickens rolls in his grave.)

Don’t Wait Until You’re Old to Be Like Betty White

Everyone loves Betty White. From her brilliantly dumb portrayal of Rose Nyland on “The Golden Girls” to her game show appearances and animal activism, she’s built a reputation as a respected actress who doesn’t take herself too seriously.

I Am Not a Jackass Whisperer: Why I Don’t Read Reviews

Recently, a friend mentioned in passing that she’d written a review for my book, “The Name of the Game.” I hadn’t even realized she’d read the book, let alone left a glowing review. I thanked her and apologized for not acknowledging it earlier.

Then I had to admit an awkward truth: I don’t read reviews. At least not anymore.

 

The Broccoli of Writing

Feedback is the broccoli of writing. I know it’s good for me, but that doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.