ADULT SIBLING RIVALRY AND THE HOLIDAYS
Coming home for the holidays is something that many adults look forward to every year. Seeing family and friends evokes childhood memories and provides inspiration for good times in a homey atmosphere. However, some memories may include lingering animosity and resentment between siblings. Relationship fractures within the family may stem from sibling issues which began.. read more →
Let’s Talk About Mental Health, Shall We?
First, let’s set the record straight. Attending to your mental and emotional health is not always about getting a counselor or therapist. However, if you think you need to speak with someone, it is absolutely appropriate if you’re ready to receive the help therapy offers! So there’s no shame in your game if you take.. read more →
Cicely Tyson – Not an Actress, an Experience
Upon getting the news that Cecily Tyson passed away at age 96, I was surprised. Yes, surprised even at her age. That’s because a woman who made the type of impression on the world that she did is the kind of woman that we tend to think will live forever. Of course, in one respect,.. read more →
Nothing Changes Until It Does
When it happened I cried. I thought about my father and I cried harder for his sake. He had died a few years earlier and had missed it. My father, who was born in 1926 Louisiana, knew firsthand about the unapologetic, brutal, southern racism that America embraced. However, he also saw racial progress as the.. read more →
Remembering The Two Sides of 2020
A December 31, 2019 Facebook memory post appeared in my newsfeed that read, “Dear 2020, this year I will keep living my best life and smile…Happy New Year.” With the benefit of hindsight, my first thought that I posted when I shared the memory was, “Well, this post didn’t age well.” Then I really thought.. read more →
But We Are Here
It’s amazing how we reach a point in our lives and do the long, look back. That’s when we’re able to see our entire life’s work. How much happiness did we give? How much grief did we suffer? Have the dreams we had for our children been realized? Have our own dreams? How many of.. read more →
A Racial Bias
I remember getting a comment from a woman reading one of my books. She let me know that she was not pleased to find out she was reading about a black woman. She wrote that I, the writer, did not inform her of the race of the character, so she had imagined the character as.. read more →
Lest We Forget…
The night Hillary Clinton clinched the nomination for the Democratic Party, I got emotional. I didn’t expect it. As a matter of fact, if you had asked me beforehand how I would feel, I’m almost certain I would have shrugged it off. But when I heard Alicia Keys’ song, This Girl is on Fire, and.. read more →
Working with the Homeless
In my novel, God Doesn’t Love Us All the Same, an unusual bond forms between Vera, an old homeless woman and Janine, the young woman who tries to help her. Their meeting takes place on a cold, snowy night when Janine, in a random act of compassion, invites Vera to a coffee shop for something.. read more →
Inspired to Write
In a recent interview about my book God Doesn’t Love Us All the Same, I was asked this question: “What would you do differently if you had a chance?” My response: “I would start writing earlier in my life. I’ve always had lots of story ideas, but I never thought too seriously about being a.. read more →