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… — 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 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… — 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.” That observation has…

My company, Story Imprinting, is a small, women-owned business that delivers training to organizations on storytelling, leadership… — 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…

I was recently on a video conference call when someone admired the painting behind me and asked me about its origin. I told her that I had… — I was recently on a video conference call when someone admired the painting behind me and asked me about its origin. I told her that I had painted it. She started asking me questions about how long I had been painting and where I learned to paint. I explained that…

I was walking through a terminal in O’Hare Airport when I saw her walking towards me with her mother. She couldn’t have been more than… — I was walking through a terminal in O’Hare Airport when I saw her walking towards me with her mother. She couldn’t have been more than five. Her tiny chin was raised and each step she took made her sneakers light up like a Christmas tree. She wore a cape and…

When I was barely old enough to construct a proper sentence, I declared that I wanted to be a writer. My mother treated my declaration with… — When I was barely old enough to construct a proper sentence, I declared that I wanted to be a writer. My mother treated my declaration with respect and gave me the grandest thing she could. She set up a workspace in the corner of the living room of our tiny…

The past two years of my life have been a series of deaths. Some literal, others metaphoric. It began with the sudden death of my 44-year… — The past two years of my life have been a series of deaths. Some literal, others metaphoric. It began with the sudden death of my 44-year old nephew, my sister’s only son. Three months later, my brother died in an accident, my mother’s only son. Eleven months after that, my…