Shikata Ga Nai

仕方が無い My first experience with “shikata ga nai” was hearing my father-in-law say it. In the five years that I … More

Stop Resisting

photo credit I’ve been notably happier since we returned from our Japan trip. The arbitrary “start over” button of New … More

1. Having to go through his email to find a receipt for a water filter he bought that you have … More

I spent New Year’s in Japan. It felt right to get the hell out of here. Start a new year … More

It was Trunk-or-Treat night. Parents busily decorated before the stampede of costume-clad children came. All I could think about was … More

I don’t know how to explain it. I feel like Woody in Toy Story 2 with a broken arm, never … More

I have discovered the secret to my personal happiness. 1. clean house (cleaned by housekeepers, not me) 2. time to … More

Today somebody referenced a “year of mourning.” A what?! I feel the tiptoeing around me and I’m inclined to make … More

Rambling in my head: OMG you are missing both kids’ Halloween festivities at their schools. You are a crap mom. … More

My previous essays have been focused on my experience with grief, but I haven’t shared my experience dealing with the … More