growth
-
I’m Ready to Return my Buyer’s Remorse
Dear Mom, When I was growing up, I often watched you while you sat on the couch. Legs stretched out long in your corner. Watching TV with a checkbook in your hands. “What are you doing?” I’d ask. “Balancing the… Continue reading
-
Progress Not Perfection
Dear Mom, Did you ever contemplate your success as a parent? As of a week ago, I would have said it’s my biggest strength. Being a mom, since the very beginning, has been the one part of my life where… Continue reading
-
Challenge Accepted
Dear Mom, Have you ever felt like there was something you couldn’t do? Have you ever stopped yourself out of a fear of failure or assumption that it wasn’t achievable? Have you ever done it anyway and surprised yourself? Accomplished… Continue reading
-
Taking Control
Dear Mom, Something unexpected happened to me this week. It might be due to some podcast episodes I’ve been listening to about habits and happiness, but I had a moment where everything changed for me. It’s as if suddenly I… Continue reading
-
Flipping the Script
Dear Mom, “It’s exhausting taking care of me.” You wrote that in a journal entry titled A Day in the Life dated 3/21/13. I understand. Maybe not in the same way, but I get it. Your exhaustion was due to… Continue reading
-
Beyond The Thread
Dear Mom, Each week when I write these letters to you, I inevitably type numerous sentences that don’t make it to the final draft. The nature of this style of writing, where I pick myself apart, leads to me going… Continue reading
-
Life, Death, and the Diagnosis That Came Between Us
Dear Mom, I’ve been writing a lot lately about my need and desire to forgive and move on from the mistakes I made as a teenager and young adult. All the moments when I screwed up and all the apologies… Continue reading
-
Before I Move Forward, One More Thing…
Dear Mom, Last week’s letter about compassion got me thinking about the ways in which we as a society tend to move on from the ugliness of our history. I’m pretty sure that many people would love to simply erase… Continue reading
Sober Letters to Mom 