What does it really mean to be a good person, and how do we know if we are one? A simple quote, “You’re a good person,” sent me on an unexpected journey of self-reflection. After years of looking to others for approval and trying to figure out who I was, I decided it was time […]

What if laughter is one of the best tools we have for getting through life? For me, humor has always been a faithful companion, a way to clear the air, soften difficult moments, and find a little breathing room when things feel overwhelming. In this episode, I reflect on the role humor has played in […]

Sometimes, a beautiful experience can open a part of us we didn’t even realize had closed. After an unexpected trip to the beach left me overwhelmed with joy and feeling deeply cared for, I began reflecting on the words of Julia Alvarez, Ram Dass, Audre Lorde, Rumi, and Henry David Thoreau. Their insights led me […]

At 80, I’ve been thinking more about death and realizing that talking about aging has sometimes been my way of avoiding the subject altogether. I’ve planned my memorial and organized my affairs, but there’s one thing I can’t plan for: the experience of dying itself. How do we face the unknown, and can we ever […]

“The person who sets out on the journey is not the one who arrives.” This David Whyte quote has me thinking about how every journey changes us, whether we realize it or not. From leaving home for college, living on a spiritual commune, traveling the world, publishing my memoir, buying a new home, and turning […]

After my first conversation with a group of women who had read my memoir, I found myself reflecting on what it means to tell our stories and allow ourselves to be truly seen. Their questions brought me back to the experiences that shaped me and reminded me why writing them down mattered. Our memories can […]

What if the qualities we already possess are enough to help us navigate whatever life throws at us? A quote from Marcus Aurelius got me thinking about gratitude, kindness, resilience, and the things within us that we might overlook until we need them. I found myself especially taken with his advice to “take full account […]

What happens when life refuses to give us the answers, the timeline, or the sense of control we desperately want? Lately, I’ve been finding out. Between unexpected house repairs, a flooded yard, expensive appliances, and a tooth implant that has left me a little worse for wear, I’ve been feeling like I’ve temporarily lost my […]

Over the years, certain writers have become companions of sorts, people whose words made me laugh, think, feel more connected, and sometimes see the world a little differently. In this episode, I share the stories of three San Francisco Chronicle writers who inspired me in very different ways. Then I came across an unexpected quote […]

What does it really mean to be authentic? For most of my life, I thought being myself simply meant being honest, kind, and dependable. But over time, through heartbreak, travel, self-discovery, and a willingness to look more closely at who I really am, I began to realize that authenticity is something much deeper. It means […]