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It’s Normal to be One of a Kind
Many of us, especially when we’re young, try desperately to “fit in”. We want to be like our peers. We don’t want to be an outcast or an oddball. It feels much safer to graze with the herd rather than blaze one’s own trail. It’s also quite common for us to pigeonhole other people; fit…
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A Maternal Instinct for Benign Neglect
I really have to hand it to my mother. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I was exposed to the idea that parents were capable of disliking their children. Ma never gave me that impression, so the concept never occurred to me. When I was in my early 20’s, my mother admitted to…
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Lessons I Should Have Learned Way Before Age 50
This has been a year of great change and great learning for me. I’m starting completely over at 50, and that creates a unique set of challenges. It also allows for a unique set of insights. Here are a few things that I’m finally starting to figure out this year that I wish I had…
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Have a Little Faith
There are certain things that I long to hear from people that I care about. I have faith in you. I’m proud of you. I trust you. You can do it. I appreciate you. I love you. Yes, it’s always dangerous to rely on outside sources for your personal validation, but as far as I…
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Please Like Me
I work with someone who doesn’t hide the fact that she doesn’t like me at all. Her perception of who I am is so far from my actual motivations that it baffles me. It’s as if when she looks at me she sees someone else entirely, and that person is despicable. It’s a shame, too,…