Wildflower Writes

I am a good communicator.  I write well, speak somewhat articulately (if a little fast), and have a gift for teaching concepts at varying levels.  However, neither my family or my coworkers would tell you they're completely satisfied with how much I communicate.  I'm an introvert.  A lot more goes on in my head than ever proceeds out of my mouth.  I forget that no one can read minds and that my knowledge is virtually useless if I don't share it.  For me, I have to overcommunicate.  At work, that might mean a word in person, an email, and a note.  It might mean talking to multiple people in the same department.  It might mean following up later to make sure what I said was understood and acted upon. At home, as much as I wish everyone could read my minds, they can't.  My kids can't live up to my expectations if they don't know what they are.  My husband won't know how strongly I feel about something if I clam up when I'm upse...

It was a friendly debate. Should you go out on a date with someone if there is no initial spark of attraction? On the one hand, if you’re not attracted to someone, why spend the time getting to know him or her if you’re sure it’s not going to become more than a friendship? On the other hand, how do you know if someone has an attractive personality if you don’t take the time to find out? Or, another side of this argument may be, why not date just for fun? As a person who has been out of the dating game for over a decade, my views may be a little old fashioned. And wishy washy. After all, my answer would be, “it depends.” First of all, it depends whether you are male or female. A male’s initial attraction to someone is probably 95 percent physical. It may be the color of her hair, her smile, her eyes, and oh, yes, definitely her body. Although it will be shaped by his culture, what he finds attractive in the opposite sex will be highly individualized. On behalf of the many women ...

What does the ideal mom look like? Is it June Cleaver, wearing pearls while she vacuums and having dinner ready when dad walks in the door? Is it Lucy Ricardo, devoted mother still looking for her next big break on stage or screen, or at least a good adventure? Is it Roseanne Connor, keeping her kids in line with sharp remarks and always speaking her mind? Is it Abby O’Neil, the vegan, homeschooling, all-natural mom from Dharma & Greg who walks around in overalls and burns incense? Is it Reba Hart, a single working mom dealing with her teenage daughter’s pregnancy and her ex-husband’s new wife? Every mom has to decide for herself what motherhood is going to look like. For most people, no one is going to be harder on mom than she is on herself. As times change, society’s expectations of the role of mother change and evolve with them. I don’t know if there is any other time in history that has so many potential expectations of motherhood. Moms are supposed to be totally devoted t...