I had my last coaching session with my longest standing client today. We worked together for three years, and I got to support him through both his parents’ deaths and a layoff, although for the layoff that happened towards the end of our engagement, he didn’t really need much support because he was high on…
These damn plastic produce bags They won’t ever budge open Until I stick my fingers in the ice of the broccoli And use that water to pry open A trick my ex taught me When he saw me huffing and puffing Struggling near cursing Trying to hold onto the last of my independence Now every…
I once asked a therapist friend how one should or could grieve. “Do I just sit there and think about the loss?” I wasn’t sure if this was productive. I had learned as a teenager that a wonderful way to cope with sadness and hopelessness is to do something productive. So, I had enrolled in…
When someone leaves a marriage, a job, or a country, an unwritten rule takes away their right to grieve. People tell them, “Hey, it was your choice to leave.” True, but the leaving only happens when the staying cannot, isn’t it? No one gets into a marriage thinking they want to leave it, unless it’s…
Have you ever been on a call with a friend and decided halfway through that you’re never having a long conversation with them again? It’s somewhat like a writer knowing where the story ends but still writing it with as much integrity as possible. I met this friend after high school when I was 18….
I once went on a date that the man insisted was a non-date. “Just a meeting,” he kept saying. A past version of me from just one year ago would have made this all about me: I’m not attractive enough for him, maybe I did something to turn him off, and so on. I did…
Imagine a small, dark room. Inside, there are artifacts of grief, nostalgic music and bird cutouts, uncomfortable places to sit, and a wall to hang notes for your loved ones. Outside, in the garden, framed quotes and statistics about grief are hung on plants and posts. Through these frames, I learn how wide grief goes….
Last week, I made the uncomfortable decision to spend $1,000 on a group coaching Bootcamp for pitching articles. This Bootcamp will span six weeks starting early May and participants will get weekly group coaching on pitches. We will also have lifetime access to course materials and a community of article-writers for advice. $1,000 may be…
Moving countries and finding new jobs never gets easier with time. This is the story of why I didn’t get a particular job after moving to a new geography. This can happen to anyone, even without a change in employment markets. My first job interview after the move was uptown in an unfamiliar area. And…
I am a volunteer responder for a crisis center phone line. This is a story of trying my best to remain patient when a caller is mean without a comprehensible reason. 8 pm on a Friday evening. I picked up the phone and asked, “Hello! How are you doing today?” My normal greeting in my…