There is a well-known theory in chess called the first move advantage that suggests the player who goes first is statistically positioned for the best outcome. When I first heard this, I went and found an old chess piece and …
Writing Tips From the Pros: Mandy Arioto
You’ve asked, so we’ve delivered. We’ve gone straight to the source to give you some of the best writer’s tips around from none other than the pros. Check in all week to catch them. Mandy Arioto Writing Tips from MOPS International …
Morning Rituals
I have spent a lot of my years as a mom feeling like the details of my day were out of control. I regularly wash the same load of laundry twice because I keep forgetting to put it in the …
Mother Tongue
Ever since I became a mom, I developed what I refer to as a mother tongue. I call every kid that enters my house, “Love,” I utter compilations of words that I never would have imagined go together like, “Don’t …
Let’s Hear it for the Boys
Last week, my son had a friend over and I asked them to light a fire in the fireplace because it was a cold evening. My son’s friend’s face turned bright red as he sheepishly told me that his mom …
A Response to Charlottesville
The news coming out of Charlottesville, VA is horrifying. Racism is a weapon. It is life-destroying and goes against every tendency we have as moms to nurture, protect and advocate. As we watched the news this weekend, we couldn’t help …
Open Letter to My Kids: You Are the Generation
Dear Joseph, Elle and Charlotte, Last week a radio host asked me in an interview to make a political statement about the state of the world and how difficult it is to raise kids in this current cultural climate. My …
The Womb Time That Winter Brings
Winter has a way of reminding me I can’t control every aspect of my life. Ever since I was young, I have loved the seasons. The unique feel, tastes and rhythms of nature have always whispered to me that there …
Breathing in Those Around Us
I overheard a conversation yesterday, because I am nosy and the two women were enchanting. They were sitting on a velvet green couch in the corner of a hotel where I was also staying. Sitting close, almost knee-to-knee, one with …
When Proximity Dilutes Kindness
Consistency. This is an attribute that has eluded me the first nearly four decades of my life. My husband on the other hand, wears it like a fine Italian suit. He is consistently kind, consistently generous and consistently present, and …