What My Daughter Said That Shamed Me

Recently I got a rare cuddle from my teen daughter. She lay with her head in the crook of my arm, the rest of her body sprawled on the couch. We were nose to nose, gazing into each others’ eyes, the way you don’t do often enough because that leads to a soul-to-soul connection, and that means you’re spiritually naked and supremely vulnerable.

Vulnerable isn’t an easy place for a teen girl or the mom of a teen girl to live in — or even visit very often.

Turning 36 and the Decade That’s Beginning to Define Me

Several of my conversations with friends this year have had a common theme: We don’t have enough time. We don’t have enough time to see each other or take a vacation or even get a decent haircut. Sitting still isn’t an option and a full night of sleep is often a luxury. And you may be thinking that’s because all of my friends are mothers, just like I am. But they’re not.

The common denominator is that we’re all in our 30s.