It is lovely to be silly at the right moment. Horace   Be silly. You're allowed to be silly. There's nothing wrong with it. Jimmy Fallon   One thing I’ve always wanted to be (besides a singer) is … silly. Having spent years in a decidedly un-funny relationship, scared and constantly criticized, I studied others around me to determine the “correct” response or reaction. But, in general, I took – and still take – everything way too seriously. And despite years of being told otherwise by an unkind person that I regarded far too highly, I know now – well,…

When I became a parent, I was hopeful that my children would inherit only my best traits and mix them in with their own amazing personalities. What I didn’t want was for them to be the me that I didn’t want to be. I didn’t want them to have my fears, my doubts, my obsessive compulsive need to make lists. I figured they’d manage to find their own issues in life that I’d coach them through and they didn’t need to walk in any of my more uncomfortable shoes. For instance, in a recent post, I spoke to my inability…

Prom season. Another rite of passage. A ceremonial shift. If it was a football game, there would be a myriad of colorful flags being thrown. Something – anything – that screams at parents: Are you seeing this? Don’t tell me you’ve missed another event! Not long ago they were infants challenging your diapering skills. Then you are running out for the big kid underwear and racing off highways for emergency potty stops that did not necessarily coincide with the designated rest areas. A few months later (or so it seems), they are skipping off to preschool and on to the…

If you don’t know this scene yet, you will. It goes something like this: Teen Daughter: Can I get a ride home with <<insert her teen friend’s name>>? Me: Who’s driving? Daughter: She is. Me: And who else will be in the car? ** And that’s how I am assigned to the “Meanest Mother in the World” list. One more teen in the car and she can’t get her ride. Because, as my colleague says: “Any sentence that begins with the phrase ‘A car full of teenagers…’ never ends well.” And he is right. And she knows it. But I…

“Where does family come from anyway?” My friend’s eyes were rolling. We can choose our friends. We can occasionally choose our colleagues and, rarer still, our neighbors. Aside from a spouse, we can never really choose our family. The people who are supposed to be closest to you, who are supposed to “get you”, who are supposed to stand up for you (and occasionally to you – though that is not always appreciated), who are supposed to be most like you because of biology and genetics – well … there’s just no telling how the planets and parents and DNA…

In almost every job, there is a system in place that involves reviews, critiques, and bonuses. Most are formal, scheduled events featuring an appointment with your boss for that moment of truth. If you’re lucky, you know where you stand before going into that meeting. And then there is parenting. It’s a bit sketchy on who gets to review and critique my “work“, who the boss is, and what the bonus will be in any given year, much less moment. This is what I’ve learned along the way: I parent in a huge worldwide community. I have a lot of…