The Magic of Middle School

I recently attended a book talk, "Finding the Magic in Middle School" by Chris Balme, who I consider the "Dr. Becky" (Becky Kennedy) of Good Inside (book and parenting platform - I read and joined), for middle school kids.  Side[...]

“Mom, I want to hear your story”

One of my best friends, Amy (who helped me create this site and inspired this piece), gave me the book, "Mom, I want to hear your story," to help inspire me with topics, themes, and ideas to share. There are A LOT of interesting q[...]

Body and Movement

If there is one thing you can do that helps lift your spirits, reset your mind, sleep better, and enhance your general quality of life, it is to move your body in whatever way that works for you; and whatever you choose to do, try[...]

Siblings

Your Dad and I remark regularly how lucky you guys are to have one another - to play with, for companionship, to have someone share in the same childhood memories and experiences, and a partner in life that you will have for the r[...]

Remembrance

When I was in graduate school in Syracuse, New York, that was the longest stretch of time that I had been away from my family. I moved there in July 2007, and it was around September and Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, that my mom ca[...]

Meditation, Mindfulness, Equinimity

This post is written, 8 months into COVID, and is a reminder about the importance of mindfulness and equanimity, and the practice of meditation to help achieve the former two. There is a large body of research that supports th[...]

Start Here…

The idea of writing this blog came to me about three years ago (2017), after my mom passed away from cancer. I was searching and grasping for ways to learn more about her and her life – to find ways to stay close and connected t[...]

Why Do The Scary Thing?

Starting a blog in mid-life (nearly 40!), is a scary thing to do, but the scarier thing really is to not do it at all. I want you (you = J&J) to know that it is OK to be scared, and to realize that when you are scared to do s[...]

Unconditional Love

There is one truth that I want you to know to be so true that you can feel it in the marrow of your bones – that I love you, unconditionally. To be clear, unconditionally means without conditions – so you do not need to say o[...]

The Great Pause (aka COVID-19)

I would be remiss to not note that this blog was created during The Great Pause, AKA the Shelter-in-Place caused by the novel coronavirus of 2019/2020.  A few highlights during this time (SIP started 13 March 2020; 2.5 months SI[...]