I've been thinking a lot about this idea of survival. Of being a 'survivor.' I used to be so proud to call myself a survivor. I used to believe that my ability to survive meant I was tough, strong, and maybe courageous. But when I discovered my former boyfriend's nickname for me was The Rock, I felt uncertain. He called me The Rock because he watched as I raised my younger sister Adrienne and …
life lessons
The day LA lost its luster
When I walked outside this morning, my eyes stung and my mouth tasted like ash. From our front door, which faces east, I could see that the La Crescenta Station fire had turned the blue sky into a dull beige dustbowl. I sighed as I prepared to take one of our cats to the vet. Given that all three of our pets have skin allergies, I should be happy they are not doing worse given the current climate. …
A letter to my 16-year-old self
To me, sixteen is an age when we think we know everything, yet we know almost nothing. Many years ago, I read an excerpt from the book Dear Me: A Letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self. One of the funniest bits of advice was musician Alice Cooper telling his younger self, “Trashy girls are exciting for about five minutes … keep your eyes out for a really good lookin’ church girl.” When actor …