Thoughts

My story is one of profound love and devastating loss — of joy and pain, pride and shame. It’s about the impact of addiction on a person and their loved ones, and the par…

I was four years old when I first announced that I was a girl. Nobody else saw it that way; they said I was a boy and told me that the girl inside didn’t belong. Unable t…

Seven years into my marriage, I started to daydream about planning my husband’s funeral.  I thought about the outfits in which I’d dress our young children for the s…

My brother, father, mother and sister (from left) Recently, while I was visiting my dad in Ireland, he asked my mom how many children I have. This means he forgot who the…

While I’m mostly a reader of fiction, over the years I’ve bought a dozen or so self-help books. These have titles like “How to Stop Being a People Pleaser,” “Setting Boun…

Two years ago, I sat my daughter down to give her devastating news: I had brain cancer, and my life would be cut short.  We had to move cities to be closer to family…

The dichotomy of my recovery from alcoholism — being both my greatest accomplishment and a source of stigma that silences me — is deeply confusing. Here’s why. I am Annie…

Robyn graduating in 2023 from her MBA program. It happened to me. I got worn down. The burnout caught me off guard, seemed to come out of nowhere, and poof – that was it.…