In first grade, I fell in love with a boy named Billy Brisco. He was sooooo cute. He rode the bus (I walked). He was a grade older than me. He had swoopy hair and light freckles. He smacked his gum. We would have made cute babies. The next year, I walked in the front door of my elementary school to find he'd changed districts and I just knew I'd never see him again. I was devastated. What now? All my heart and soul was set on marrying Billy Briscoe. Well, I had to change my m

I grew up middle class in a very white, culturally conservative neighborhood. I didn't (knowingly) know a single queer person until I was in high school. I had interacted with exactly one black person before middle school. Everyone I knew was at least nominally Christian. I knew to look down on, ever so slightly, people whose family constellations looked differently than mine (married hetero parents, two kids, white picket fence). The additionally honest truth is that I was s

My first two kids arrived very mild mannered. They were playful and sweet and seemed to want to get along in the world (outside of agreeing to sleep). My third child, although incredibly happy, was very strong willed. When the others would toddle along into whatever event I brought them to, the third would run the other direction. When in trouble, the older two would sniffle and sit in time-out on their own. The third would scream, spit, and again run in the other direction.

Last week, I wrote about changing my mind about some personal beliefs and how, while I used to believe I couldn't change my mind out of sheer pride in being right, I've found I'm much happier and healthier when I allow myself to make a new decision when I realize an old one is causing harm. Being honest with yourself is a huge part of continuing to grow as a person. And with self-honesty comes humility. Which comes first? I cannot say. If you have any pride in your profession

For most of my life I have been a learner. I like to know why things happen the way they do. I have a lot of questions and I don't make up my mind quickly on things. I dig deep, ask around, do my research, then decide which side of the fence I want to be on. One of the downsides to being such a careful committer to things is that once I commit I rarely go back. For a long time, out of pride, I thought I couldn't go back on things I decided to believe. I'm one of the most rat