Before the bones fused I put my lips against that tender dip in your skull that exposed your vulnerability and utter dependence upon me I inhaled that tenderness knowing it would not last and knowing there would be days I grieved desperately for its return You may find Ann marie Houghtailing’s visual work on Instagram at trailsnotpaths

Surrender is not defined by war alone Surrender is not a white flag or knees in the mud Surrender is not the beggar you think Surrender is acceptance It is the act of letting go It is powerful and requires courage Death will come It will take you Or worse still, someone…

First Set down your shield If your sword is nearby throw that as far away as you can Now get low to the ground Listen Not just with your ears Listen with your eyes and your skin and your organs As if you are about to pet a wild rabbit Breathe Listen some more Now look in the eyes of the wounded This will be hard Now you can speak Say, thank you for telling me You are brave, my darling I am so sorry that I harmed you

I was a child But not for very long Just nine glorious years My sister died and the universe shifted My gentle, single mother who had always made me the center of her world disappeared I was replaced by grief in one swift blow The day she made the animal…

I stumbled upon Julia on HBO thinking it would be something light to watch while doing other things. Instead I’ve been lured into the world of Julia Child. At 52, I marvel at this woman and see her as an unlikely rebel with much to teach those of us who…

I know about the small nick in your tongue Near your right back molar I know how that nick was created Be nice Be likable You swallowed this belief thinking it was a vitamin But it was a drug A drug that made you sick That made truth retreat and your…

Over a decade ago I went to Santa Fe to work on a one woman show. My coach was a woman named Tanya Taylor Rubinstein. In the nascent stages of working together, Tanya said, “You have the confidence of a woman who was loved by her mother.” …

My company, Story Imprinting, is a small, women-owned business that delivers training to organizations on storytelling, leadership, communication and executive presence. I can’t tell you how many calls we get from large, well-resourced organizations that would like us to speak for a women’s leadership conference or luncheon, or women’s initiative…