Sometimes, I could swear, the earth speaks. I was at my daughter’s swim meet timing with another mom when her 9-year-old daughter joined us. We had timed a few events when the girl started shrieking; there was a bee on the diving block before us. It landed on the wet cement…buzz…rest…buzz…rest. The daughter grew increasingly upset. I can totally relate to bugaphobia. As a child I was terrified of anything possessing an exoskeleton. I couldn’t touch an insect book. My parents never called in an exterminator because my brother and I were doing a fine job all by ourselves. For many summers our top pursuit was to rid our...

This is the fourth time I’ve started this column over in an attempt to keep my objective voice out and leave the subjective to speak for itself. It’s not working very well. I’ll start with the facts: A controversial ad campaign sponsored by the Strong4Life campaign and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is pointing the finger of fat shame directly at our children and getting plenty of tongues wagging. “Warning: It’s hard to be a little girl if you’re not” reads one message under the photo of a chubby girl. Her eyes, just like the eyes of the other children featured in the ads, are accusatory. More text included in the campaign...

I have willed stuff into being. Lot's of it. Will will willing willfulness. And if you dared to tell me (brave soul, you), in the midst of my willfulness, that I should let go of my expectations, (gasp!) I would have gone stone cold, or snortle-laughed you off, or pressed delete. Because I thought expectation was a key ingredient to manifestation. Turns out it's a major distraction. And I'm done with it. For now. (One day at a time 'n all that.) Which brings me to the present. Essentially, this is a sermon on presence. Because when you're showing up in the now, you don't have time to expect much. You're focused on the give...