The New Normal

It’s August now. Which means back to — back to school, back to work, and back to life. Well, kind of.

We are going back, but to what exactly? We all have a “new normal” we are going back to. It is so interesting to see everyone, including myself, change to these new routines. We all have a new normal, essentially, and now we are all adjusting to all the changes.

To be honest, I am still a little sad about the new normal that we have. I miss being able to hug my friends and go inside restaurants without a mask. Though it is very hard not to be able to live my life as normal. I understand the importance of our new normal. That being said, there are many things that I have had to incorporate into my life as I get “back” to the “new normal.”

College — it’s one of the most important times for you to discover yourself. I am very excited to begin this new chapter in my life, but at the same time I am hesitant to throw myself into the experience. Everything is now so up in the air. No one really knows what is going to happen.

It’s the first time a college year will start under the “new normal,” and I am clueless about how it’s really going to work. It is scary, but I don’t want to miss out on starting the next part of my life.

So I will follow precautions and hope for the best. Because no matter what anyone says, it important that we continue to live our lives the best we can, while being as safe as possible.

A Case for Self-Love

Loving yourself unapologetically is the greatest thing you can do for another. Reread that sentence slowly. If everyone acted in soul-aligned, self-loving ways, what beauty could we create together? What happiness and harmony would ring throughout the world? Life would be magical for all. Instead, many of us seek acknowledgment or external love by bending into a pretzel of pain and misery. Let’s debunk the myth that self-love is selfish. If supplemental oxygen is deemed necessary on a plane, step one is putting on your own oxygen mask. It’s important to make sure you’re receiving oxygen before you help others — if you’re breathing, you can help provide breath for

Be in Love with Life

The “Amore” Issue! I love Love. I drive my daughters crazy with this notion. But it is true. “The Rose” was the very first song I can recall memorizing. I learned it at a church camp in Colorado Springs the summer after completing 7th grade. At the base of the beautiful Rocky Mountains we spent hours singing this song, rehearsing for the performance we would give our families at the end of the camp. Ever since, I have been singing this song to myself when I cannot go to sleep — it has always proven more effective than counting sheep or singing “99 bottles of beer on the wall.” Over

Five Ways to Live the Paris Lifestyle Anywhere

Ma Vie En Rose by Buck Jones She doesn’t come into our little café but once a week, but when she does, oh my. It’s her smile that grabs your heart, and as she walks over to give you the obligatory bisous greeting of a kiss on each cheek, the conversation is quick and easy. Long retired from being a professor at one of the local universities on the Left Bank of Paris, she and her boyfriend (a retired diplomat) sit at their favorite table and they order a coupe of champagne each. That’s what they always order, and for the next hour or so, they canoodle. She leans into

Happy ‘Taughts’ for New Beginnings

Excerpt from Rhinestones on My Flip-Flops My daughter, Caroline, loved watching Peter Pan when she was a little girl. She was glued to the television and loved every minute of the animated movie. After watching the movie, she pretended to fly around the house just like Peter Pan. On one occasion, I was upset over something, and my sweet Caroline, always a tender child, was very sensitive to my feelings. Her sweet face turned toward mine and her big brown eyes looked at me. She said, “Momma, tink happy taughts. Momma! Tink happy taughts!” she repeated. Then she said something I will never forget: “Momma if you tink happy taughts,