This week, for the first time since the start of the year, things slowed down a little.

When I say that things slowed down, I mean that there is less to do. I am working eight- or nine-hour days instead of thirteen-hour ones.

And that means that I can slow down, too. I don't have to be frantic. I don't have to watch the clock carefully to make sure I can fit all my tasks and meetings in. There is enough time for everything.

Read More

It's ironic that, as I work with adolescents to prepare them for future education and their eventual career, they may well be headed for a field or profession that doesn't even exist right now.

Most of what I do for a living was beyond my imagination when I was thirteen, whether because technology had not yet made it possible or simply because of my own ignorance of the existing possibilities.

Read More

I continue to fight my way valiantly through the challenges of life.

Or, at least, that's one interpretation of my current situation. Another is that I am struggling hopelessly with the basics. But I don't think that's the most helpful story to tell.

When it comes to difficulty, perception is reality. If something feels difficult, then it is. The basic respect I offer to my students and clients is to accept this.

Read More

We were playing with my toddler nephew on the day of our departure when my husband said to him, "I'm going to miss you."

The two-year-old didn't hesitate. "No miss!" he said crossly.

The message was clear: "We aren't going to talk about goodbyes. We aren't going to wallow in sadness. We're playing right now. We're going to live in the moment and keep our goodbyes light."

Read More

For a knitter, I have a real shortage of knit hats.

It's not just that I don't have as many hats as I would like (or would like to give as gifts). It's that there are so many hats I would like to make — fabulous, intricate patterns that I see on sites like Ravelry and bookmark for later.

I could be frustrated by my lack of hats and my lack of progress toward the hats I want. But I realized early on in my knitting career that the whole fun of the hobby was knowing that there were always beautiful things I could be making and still more beautiful things to make. It would never end, and I would never be finished.

Read More