I have problems with anger.

I mean, historically I have reacted to anger in other people. It sort of scared me. When someone around me was angry I thought it was about me, and it made me feel horrible. What did I do? Could I undo it somehow? Pleasepleaseplease?

And, ironically, anger in other people made me angry.

We all feel anger. But what can we do about it? Strong emotions like anger aren’t exactly welcome in most circles. People just want it to go away.

So when I say “I have problems with anger” I really mean “We as a society have problems with anger.”

But I have a solution for this. Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday I ran the marathon relay I’ve been training for. You can catch the recap here.

Before the race, I was really nervous. Not just because I had only run 8K twice before, but I wanted to get a good time and so I set one goal for myself: to run my entire course without stopping to walk.

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Not long ago I wrote about how toddlers are a great example for us because they’re constantly living in the present. I meant it when I wrote it and I still believe that we’re more at peace when we’re attending to what’s right in front of us, but…

I gotta tell you, I struggle with this.

I mean, what does it mean exactly anyway? And how do we apply the whole “being in the moment” thing when there’s laundry to fold and homework to check and toys to pick up and a deadline to meet and what am I going to make for dinner anyway and OMG did the cat throw up again? Read the rest of this entry »

I know first hand how hard it is to stick to a diet, to exercise regularly, to find the motivation to keep going even when you don’t want to. But what happens when you throw a house guest into the mix?

This past weekend was certainly a test. An old friend of mine stayed overnight Saturday and we had a traditional girl’s night. Before I started training for the marathon relay, I would have thrown all discipline out the window and had a weekend of fattening foods and sitting around. The race is a week away and there was no way I was going to do that. Or was I?

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It’s my birthday today, dammit, and I just decided what I want this year.

It’s definitely not flowers. Or chocolate (although there will be some). Or jewelry. Or shoes. None of that, not for me. Not this year, or, if I get what I want, probably any year.

No, what I want goes deeper than that. What I want this year is something I’ll be able to carry with me the rest of my life.

I want to be a broad. Read the rest of this entry »

Last Wednesday night, my 3 year old cried for me not to leave him with his father. “I don’t want you to go to the gym!” he wailed. My heartstrings were pulled so hard I might as well have left my entire heart in his tiny hands. There’s no question that feeling guilty comes naturally with being a mother.

My husband peeled our human fruit roll-up out of my already sweating arms and assured me he would be fine. I gave him the are-you-sure look, and bless his heart, he mouthed back a silent, “Go babe.” I kissed Thomas’ tear-stained cheek and left for another weight training session with my trainer, Homie G.

If there’s one thing I could tell you to take away from this column, it’s to not cave to negative feelings. Laziness, fatigue, being too busy, and putting off exercise due to family demands can all weigh heavily on a Mom’s ability to get her butt out the door to the gym or outside for a run or walk.

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It’s no secret that music has a powerful influence on us. It can set off all manner of emotions, send our thoughts spiraling to dizzying new heights, and allow us to access corners of our creativity that we thought were dusty from disuse.

And powerful lyrics, when combined with music, can be incredibly inspiring.

I like using music as a tool to change my mood or to create one. A while ago I talked about songs that nourish my soul and today I’d like to continue that thought, concentrating on lyrics especially: the ones that create a sense of personal empowerment and expansion. Read the rest of this entry »

This past weekend I went gangbusters on our kitchen cupboards. My “baking” cupboard, stacked high with Tupperware full of white flour, white sugar, shortening, chocolate chips, and white pasta all went to the great trash bin in the sky. (Actually behind the shed, but who’s asking?)

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I am a procrastinator.

Selective procrastinator, I should say. With most things I am totally right on top of them, in fact I am usually the instigator and cheerleader and make-it-happener. I get the kids off to school on time and I hate being late for appointments. If you invite me to your house chances are I’ll show up ten minutes early.

But with other things I drag my heels. It’s painful. I think and think about them, often even losing sleep over the thing that’s hanging over my head undone.

And then when I finally do that thing there’s a certain bliss about the completion of it as the pain of leaving something undone turns into the exquisite ecstasy of finally crossing it off my list.

So I have to ask myself: What’s up with that? Read the rest of this entry »

Karen’s recent column “Live Like a Toddler: Six Ways To Change Your Life” got me thinking about our kids and how they are always moving. A couple of weeks ago, I asked my 9 year old to join me on an outside run in the snow.

One great part about working out with your kid is that you get to talk to them about stuff when their pesky little brother isn’t tugging on you for a peanut butter sandwich. We chatted all the way to the high school and started around the track.

The other great part about working out with a child? Dylan was sprinting around me in circles, inspiring me to keep going. While the ground was soppy with leftover snow and our feet were getting wet, we laughed and ran like little kids and it sure made those 5K go faster than I had anticipated. After running, we played on the monkey bars and held our own mini-competition to see who could stay up there the longest. We stretched, then headed home, doing lunges until our thighs couldn’t take any more. By the time we got back to our block, we both had a second wind and raced “to the next tree!” over and over again. It was so much fun and we were laughing the whole time.

Talk about balance between being a Mom and taking care of myself. Acting like a kid, with my kid, was a great workout!

Other great ways to get yourself and your family moving:
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