We made it to another January! Another New Year, another chance to reflect on the past, to start over, and to think fresh thoughts about the future. Of course, we have the ability to reflect, start over, and think fresh every day, but there’s something about hanging a new calendar […]
Dogs are loving, patient, companions, and I’ve always liked them, but as a child, I was not allowed to have one. My mother didn’t like animals. “They’re dirty and messy, and they die,” she’d say, shaking her head, when we asked for pets. Once in a while, we kids would […]
This weekend I attended The Sun magazine’s annual writers’ workshop, “Into the Fire” at Esalen in Big Sur. Having been to one of these workshops four years ago, I anticipated the weekend as eagerly as a child anticipates an Oreo cookie–imagining twisting it apart, licking out the luscious filling, then […]
Yesterday we celebrated Labor Day in the U.S., a day of tribute to the working class in recognition of the contributions they (we) make to the *”strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” Although no one knows exactly who first proposed the idea, we’ve been celebrating this holiday since 1882 […]
I think a lot about stories — the stories we tell our friends, the stories we create when we journal, and the stories we create when we write fiction and memoir. All of our stories have something in common: an attempt to understand ourselves and the world (or universe) we […]
I received the suggestion for this week’s journaling prompts from Marlene Samuels, who wrote: I’ve been enjoying receiving your newsletters … Currently I’m working on a series of essays pertaining to decision making for the 3rd quarter of our lives, especially as seen by baby-boom generation women. I think it […]
I have a teenage son, which means that I am continually forced to balance my need for control with his need for independence. You’d think I’d be used to this dance by now — he’s my fourth — but as I’ve discovered, each child is a new experience. One day, […]
I called my father on Sunday to wish him a Happy Father’s Day. He chuckled and said, “It’s nice of you to remember. Not many people celebrate Father’s Day.” My son had said something like that when I asked him if he and his family were planning anything special for […]
Life is a never-ending source of journaling prompts. We can write about current events, past events, and imagined future events. One fun (and often revealing) kind of journal writing prompt is the “If …” statement or question. If I had been born male, instead of female, what sports would I […]
The U.S. constitution acknowledges our basic right to pursue happiness. And so we do. But happiness seems to be an elusive prize: each time we believe we’ve attained it, it seems to slip from our grasp once again. This may be, in part, because we’re not exactly sure what happiness […]
I’ve been thinking a lot today about who I am when I write — and I don’t mean who I identify myself to be in this life, but who I am as a narrator — because when I journal, I can write from many different perspectives. Depending on what I’m […]
It’s Memorial Day here in the U.S. — a day that means many things to many people. It’s intended to be a day to stop, remember, and honor those who lost their lives in our wars, in service to our country. For many of us, the meaning of the day […]
