Life is intense. Why do we make it more so by continually cranking up the intensity: more hours at work, calories to burn, or money in the bank? Constantly striving for more creates intensity. Increasing the intensity of life without intention is insanity. Living with intention means enjoying what we have, how we are, and…
Life is full of stigmas. They are everywhere, and most of them are untrue. Short, cute, blonde does not equal cheerleader. Cheerleader does not equal unintelligent. Depression does not equal crazy. A behavioral health center is not an insane asylum. Stigmas are labels of judgment that have no merit. I have a friend who suffers…
Running down the dirt hiking trail, my (then) two-year-old daughter tripped and fell on her little face. Before I could even reach her, she popped up with blood streaming down her forehead, pumped her fist in the air, and shouted, “Yee-haw, all girl!” She has always been one tough and undeterred cookie. My wish for…
Fort Collins is home to the only lowland Nordic ski team in Colorado, the Poudre School District Prairie Dogs. In 2017, Kyle Steitz, the coach, was laughed at by the other twelve teams in the state. Everyone assumed a team of Lowlanders didn’t stand a chance. The competition had grown up on Nordic skis. Most…
Ensuring you have the right words when saying goodbye isn’t easy. When dropping my daughter off at college, this was the challenge I faced. There were so many things I wanted to impart to her. Being a writer and an empath makes me guilty of being too wordy. I knew my mushy tendencies would not…
The choice to change ourselves isn’t an easy decision, and the action required of oneself is even more daunting. Choosing change requires us to love ourselves, and be brave when facing our fears. We must be willing to let go of the familiar and venture into the unfamiliar. Twenty-seven years ago, my mother did just…
A diamond is considered by many to be the most precious of all gemstones. The untrained eye isn’t able to see the beauty of diamonds in the rough, but understands the potential value they hold just from being diamonds. Without special tools the flaws or clarity held deep within aren’t usually obvious. Once cut and…