I have a pet peeve. People say there are no seasons in Phoenix. I’m here to tell you: they’re wrong. Our high this summer was 117 or 118. There are often nights where, at 10:00, it’s still over 100 degrees. For weeks at a time, it doesn’t dip below 90 overnight. Recently, we’ve had an … Read more
I listened to Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown. (OK, I listened to part of it. But audiobooks and I have a complicated relationship, and I didn’t finish it before it was due back at the library.) Given my unpleasant relationship with my family of origin, this quote spoke to me. There is something comforting … Read more
I hope that one day, I can tell my grandkids about what I went through for treatment for lymphoma, and they can look at me wide-eyed, staring in disbelief at how archaic the treatments were. In the mean time, for the too many people I know (and countless more I don’t know) who are fighting … Read more
Some of my healthy habits were in place before my ride on the cancer bus; some were a result of it. Not having cancer again is one of my motivations for many of the choices I make. “Everything gives you cancer, so why bother?” is common, and I hear you, and I understand your frustration. … Read more
People mark cancer-related anniversaries in different ways—diagnosis date, end of treatment date, “cure” date, etc. Today marks 11 years since I completed chemotherapy. I have written quite a bit about my cancer experience in my book fetus; I’ll share some of it here as we go. While I was going through treatment, I kept a … Read more
I have a love-hate relationship with birthdays. Not because of the aging part. I’m not worried about that much most days. I like to get positive attention. I can show you the roots for that—I know where it comes from—but that doesn’t change that it is true. I’ve accomplished quite a bit professionally, which has … Read more
I am divorced and remarried. I have a seven-year-old from my first marriage. We share custody and co-parent well. (People who have watched the journey for the last five years have periodically popped in and commented on us doing a bang-up job at prioritizing The Boy’s needs.) (Shout out also to both daddies for sharing … Read more
Much like the book quotes, sometimes, there’s something from a podcast that makes me stop what I’m doing, rewind, and write it down. This one is from The Wilderness, Chapter 15. Beginning almost half an hour in, he’s talking with Barack Obama. Obama says this: “To some degree, this goes back to something you often … Read more
Years ago, a friend of mine was in grad school. She had her work load, she had a part-time job, she had her apartment to take care of. She decided that Sundays were going to be no-work days. No school work. No job work (which was easy—her employer wasn’t open on the weekends). No chores. … Read more
In the span of a few days, I had conversations with two homeless people. (Well, I had a conversation and I overheard a conversation.) I was waiting on the platform for the train. A woman who looked homeless decided to run across the street to get some water before the train came. A man standing … Read more