And embrace the mantra, “Not my circus, not my monkeys.”
My little sister is very much the opposite of me. We both have can-do attitudes most of the time. But she has strengths that I do not. She’s blunt where I’m quiet. She sticks up for herself as loudly as she feels is needed (so sometimes, very loudly). My go-to is more just tolerating whoever the irritating individual and trying to act as if it doesn’t bother me.
She has a life mantra she says aloud when she feels it’s necessary to remind herself — or anyone else — that not everyone’s problems need to be a part of her…
And what to say instead.
Parenting teenagers can be challenging. Parenting transgender teenagers can be exhausting, frustrating, and overwhelming.
Our kids are going through all sorts of changes within themselves and we’re simply trying to help them navigate towards becoming responsible, kind, and successful adults.
Their journey can be hard on them as well as on us especially if we’re unfamiliar with what it means to be transgender.
If you want your dual journeys to be a little less fraught with tension, drama, hurt, and heartache, keep the following phrases from ever escaping your lips.
Book Review
This is the must-have reference book for anyone wanting to better understand the LGBTQIA+ community.
I’ve been searching for books and materials I believe will be the best resources for LGBTQueer-ies’ readers when I came across this book by Chloe O. Davis. And it has surpassed all my hopes for it.
The author, Chloe O. Davis, has done us all a massive favor by brilliantly compiling hundreds of terms connected to and used by the LGBTQ+ community. With this book, there is no longer any excuse to proclaim you don’t understand what your queer kids or friends are talking about.
This book is one I will revisit repeatedly. It is a reference book for anyone…
Finding Your Tribe, Refusing to Be a Target for Ignorance, a Creepy Classic Short Story from 1892, & A Big Announcement
Hello, My Fabulous Friend!
This is the latest mini-newsletter of Fiction & Folx. You can find the link to the whole fabulous issue below.
Easter kicked off a beautiful week of weather here in Ohio and I’ve loved being able to get out in my yard and dig in the dirt again. My summer hobbies include gardening of all sorts. It feels so satisfying to grow veggies and flowers and fruits.
And some days I struggle to take the high road.
It’s been a while since someone left me a not-so-nice comment on one of my articles. I suppose I should be grateful for the long respite. But I think because most of my readers are open-minded, thoughtful, caring people, it comes as a bit of a shock when I read one of those dreaded responses only an ignorant asshat would write.
Sometimes I respond back, sometimes I don’t. My decision is usually based on whether or not I think the reader is simply baiting me for an argument, or if I believe they’re merely ignorant and might be open to…
Get the support and understanding you need from other parents.
The concept of finding your tribe to accomplish great things in our professional lives is nothing new. Seth Godin wrote an entire book about it in 2008.
A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea. For millions of years, human beings have been part of one tribe or another. A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate. — Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, Seth Godin
As a writer, I’ve heard “find your tribe” more times than…
Things I wish I knew before becoming a mom, how to avoid other people’s drama, & finding your best friend.
Hello, My Amazing Friend!
This is the latest mini-newsletter of The Fat & Sassy Lifestyle. You can find the link to the whole fabulous issue below.
Sunday is Easter! Like many others, our family celebration will be postponed until later this month when all of us will have had our COVID vaccinations. But I can’t wait to see my big family again — it’s been soooooo long!
Do you have Easter plans? I’d love to hear about them.
April 3rd is #FindARainbowDay here in the States. Whether nature-made or man-made, I think they’re all beautiful. …
F&S Foodstuff
A springtime recipe perfect for any Easter celebration.
While growing up, fruit was always a big part of our Easter celebration. I suppose my parents and grandparents hoped it would balance out all the chocolate candy and marshmallow peeps we got in our Easter baskets and plastic eggs.
After our egg-hunting was over, we all convened around the dining table to have breakfast together. And of course, we were encouraged to grab an orange, banana, or apple from the table’s towering centerpiece to eat as well before diving into our sugary sweets.
So here’s one of my favorite family recipes that includes my favorite fruit — blueberries!
And why your answers matter.
I haven’t seen my best friend in over a year due to the pandemic. We chat on the phone almost every week, but it’s not the same. Technology is sometimes her nemesis, so Zoom calls or video chats haven’t been possible. I miss her.
I’d been searching for a friend like Gail for my entire life. I’m lucky to have had her sharing my world for more than a decade now.
Sure I’ve had lots of close friends growing up and later from various places of employment. But none of them come close to my friendship with Gail. …
Newsletter
An Open Letter, Things I Wish I Knew, Inspiration for Authenticity, and a Creepy Clown
Hello, My Fabulous Friend!
This is the latest mini-newsletter of Fiction & Folx. You can find the link to the whole fabulous issue below.
March 31st is International Transgender Day of Visibility (#TDOV) and I have a fabulous video surprise coming up for the Allies of Trans Youth Facebook group to celebrate this day.
It will feature the very first Rainbow Roundtable!
I hope you all join us there. I know you’ll love it.
