What is Marriage: Take Care of Each Other

Yesterday I was driving to Florence for a business trip, and I was thinking about my husband.  He had made a special early morning trip for orange juice in a vitamin-laced response to my new cough. He was worried that I had to drive three hours in the rain. He made breakfast. He was taking care of me.

I realized that the word "husband" still gives me a giddy little rush. When does this end? I hope it doesn't. I'll try to extend it as long as I can, maybe forever.

Makers

Will you watch this tonight?

"There are women who fight for something bigger than themselves."

Opportunity in Disappointment

Recently I mentioned that my life has been a bit of a whirlwind, seeking direction and making difficult decisions. I felt like one door slammed shut two weeks ago, and it was disappointing. To put trust in a group of people is a big step in the first place, and to have it compromised can feel horrible. I tend to make situations out of my control very personal and look for ways to deem them "failure." When this happened to me this month, I was reminded of several things: 

One of John's great strengths is his constancy. I'm more likely to be thrown about, distracted by daily ups and downs, but his personality, and therefore his support, are unwavering. I learn from him in this regard, and I love it.

Secondly, inspiration comes from the most unexpected places. Strangely enough, one of the most supportive voices during this particular turn of events was someone from within the very group who let me down. It was a lovely reminder that sometimes, and maybe more often than we admit, kindness and grace do prevail.

And thirdly, the moment that I put my disappointment aside and opened my eyes to the path before me, I saw glaring signs that this shut door paved the way, very quickly, to that thing that becomes far more valuable: opportunity.

Somehow, a bad situation became a good one, more quickly than usual. Here's to finding that positivity more often than not.

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Week in Women: Human Rights

If you're like me, you're constantly watching women's issues with the frustration and hope that pervades all of us in 2013. We're so close. Yet, not at all.

You watch Michelle and Hillary intently, and you groan when Sheryl Sandberg's comments are so good and so bad at the same time. You saw that good piece in the NY Times Saturday about the need to redefine women's rights in the workplace to human rights in the workplace, and you've been following the conversation about the benefits of universal preschool.

Stephanie Coontz is right - gender equality hasn't just stalled. We've hit a wall. Sometimes it's hard to know what to do next. Education and conversations about these things are a step in the right direction. Here's one of the best lists I've seen of gender equality principles. It helped me to see everything in one place, and I thought you might like it, too. The organization who created it suggests encouraging your company to complete their workplace assessment, which seems well-intentioned but a bit far-fetched. The Work-Life balance section feels especially pressing to me on a personal level, at age 27 - in a time when working more hours means more success, how do I make my career and family ambitions complement one another?


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Missed you

Friends! I've missed you.

At some point about three weeks ago, I got extremely busy and something had to give. I've been working every weekend to help with the Governor's School audition season, traveling every week, and at the same time found myself faced with some big shifts relating to career.

Although I'm still working weekends and traveling, the big things have all settled. I left my part time job to pursue more meaningful work. I got a wonderful professional opportunity that forced me to make some hard decisions about career direction. While coming to a conclusion was a bit stressful, I feel confident now that I'm on the right path. It's a good feeling, even if it doesn't always last long.

I hope you've been well, too. xo!