Essays
Writing essays moves me from experience to understanding. Navigating this journey on the page helps me makes sense of my life, and hopefully, nudges my readers toward their own epiphanies. I’ve honed my approach over the years and nearly every essay I’ve penned has been published—and two garnered “honorable mention” awards in the American Society of Journalists and Authors personal essay category. I adapted a third, Bunco!, into a screenplay. If you’re interested in optioning the rights, let’s talk.
“Are You Noise Sensitive? Here’s How to Tell”
Wired
March 2024
Every person has a different idea of what makes noise “loud,” but there are some things we all can do to turn the volume down a little.
“How Breath Work Helped Me Release Past Trauma”
Next Avenue
August 2023
Here’s how my experience with Transformational Breath has been healing on every level —mind, body and spirit
“Rubber Duckie, I’m Awfully Fond of You”
The New York Times
August 2023
“Take a bath with me?” he asked. I wasn’t the “hop-into-the-tub-on-the-first-date type,” even if over the phone with 75 miles between us.
“Why Songs Get Stuck in Your Head—and How to Stop Them”
Wired
July 2023
As I’m folding laundry in the bedroom, daydreaming about bike rides, late-night swims, and long summer hikes, I hear my 11-year-old son singing in the shower 20 feet away.
“Getting to Know My Husband’s Late Wife Through the Words She Left Behind”
Literary Hub
June 2023
Shortly after my husband, Brandon, and I began dating, I was shocked to discover his bookshelves housed the same titles I had on mine: Beloved, The Cider House Rules, The Book of Ruth.
“We Adopted Chickens. Chaos Ensued!”
Good Housekeeping
May 2023
I agreed to get the fowl thinking I’d be teaching my sons about entrepreneurship and environmental stewardship. What we all got was a lesson in flying the coop.
“The Magic Touch”
Unity Magazine
April 2023
Healing Touch is a form of energy medicine that anyone—even a skeptic—can learn to use effectively.
“Let your boys be a little foul-mouthed. It might help them bond.”
Washington Post
March 2023
As a mom of three boys, I’ve become accustomed to gross and sometimes abrasive language slung around the house.
“I Lost Track of My Son for Two Hours, and It Was One of My Most Terrifying Experiences as a Parent”
Good Housekeeping
November 2022
I was trying to teach him the consequences of his actions, but I didn’t think about how the result might affect my whole family.
“Why we feel ‘mom guilt’ — and how to stop”
The Washington Post
August 2022
My youngest son, Jack, was born with an extra branch stemming from his heart that I was convinced was my fault.
“Charlie’s Angels”
Revel
June 2022
I returned our beagle to my husband’s first wife. Well, half of him.
“Grappling With the Science of Touch-Based Healing Practices”
Wired
April 2022
Healing touch and other energy-based therapy is entering conventional hospitals. Can biofold manipulation and “subtle energy” research validate them as medicine?
“Stop Tracking Your Loved Ones”
Wired
March 2022
On a busy weekend, my husband, Brandon, took our three children to the park so I could work. When he didn’t respond to my text asking him to hit the grocery store on the way home and I couldn’t track him on Find My Friends, I called.
“Kid’s won’t listen? Science says music might help.”
The Washington Post
February 2022
With three school-age sons, a sort of soundtrack played at our house every morning. “Guys, please get your shoes on. It’s time to go.” Silence. Then, a little louder: “Guys, shoes!” After a few rounds of this, our neighbors could probably hear me roar: “Boys! It’s time to go!”
“How a Playlist Keeps My Family Connected to My Late Father”
Wired
October 2021
I never knew how well music could unite everyone, from older relatives to my 7-year-old son—until we built a collaborative playlist together.
“Could my child’s clumsiness be a sign of a coordination disorder?”
The Washington Post
July 2021
Sometimes mistaken for ADHD, developmental coordination disorder can lead to struggles in sports and schoolwork, as well as social isolation and depression
“Skating Toward Healing”
Unity Magazine
July 2021
How ice-skating helped a daughter get an edge over her grief.
“My Husband’s Mom Left When He Was 2 — and He’s a Better
Dad Because of It”
What’s up Moms
April 2021
Every night, while putting our boys to bed, my husband Brandon plays a song from his phone and we all try to decode the lyrics, a ritual our 9-year-old twins and 7-year old love.
“My Son Has Memories of His Late Grandfather, But They Never Actually Happened”
Good Housekeeping
March 2021
After my son vividly described happy events that never occurred, I had to figure out what was going on.
“Writing to Heal”
Unity Magazine
January 2021
Writing through our grief can mire us in painful memories or it can free us and inspire healing. The difference is in the approach.
“I Skipped the Santa Claus Tradition With My Three Sons, and They Still Have Christmas Spirit”
Good Housekeeping
December 2020
My husband and I have figured out how to flip the tradition so our sons give, instead of receive.
“The pandemic made me a private school mom”
Motherwell
December 2020
I never envisioned our sons attending the type of school that requires uniforms and black shoes—no logos please.
“Beagle Bodhisattva”
Unity Magazine
October 2020
On a rainy Wednesday, my 8-year-old son Max and I coaxed our beagle out of his crate with treats. I carried him to his bed and covered him with blankets.
“My Husband’s Massive Toy Collection Was Driving Me Crazy, Until the COVID-19 Pandemic”
Good Housekeeping
August 18, 2020
During these long days at home, watching my husband and kids tell stories with his Jedi and Ninja Turtles has been magic.
“The Traumatic Loss of a Loved One Is Like Experiencing a Brain Injury”
Discover Magazine
August 7, 2020
What happens in the brain when someone you love dies — and how to overcome it with time.
“Turns Out, You Can’t Blame Your Personality on Birth Order – Unless You’re a Twin”
Discover Magazine
May, 2020
In the debate about birth order, twins appear to be an anomaly. Parents and scientists are starting to get answers.
“Hummingbird Healing”
Unity Magazine
May, 2020
I rose at 6 a.m. on Father’s Day. The morning was overcast, cool, and peaceful, yet the heaviness in the air felt like an anvil on my heart. I missed my dad.
“Teaching our kids the holiday spirit by having them take a turn as Santa”
Washington Post
December 13, 2019
My family’s first stakeout of the season always happens in early December. My husband, Brandon, and I bundle up our three children in flannel pajamas and holiday-themed beanies. The boys pull on their snow boots (yes, even though we’re in California) and we set off for our heist-in-reverse…
“Why we keep the memory of my husband’s late wife alive for our children”
Washington Post
August 28, 2019
On a bright and breezy day in June, I walked across the street to collect the mail. Amid the bills, coupon mailers and furniture brochures, I spotted a quilting magazine. I knew it wasn’t for me. I can’t hem a pair of pants. It was for my husband’s first wife, Sherise, a woman who skillfully crafted quilts, blankets and holiday table runners…
“I Have 3 Boys – and No, I Don’t ‘Need’ a Girl”
Mom.com
June 13, 2019
When my husband, Brandon, and I heard “It’s a boy!” for the third time, we weren’t surprised. Brandon is one of seven boys. But I was shocked by the almost condolence-like congratulations we received from friends and family.
“How ditching my smartphone let me recharge and reconnect”
Discover Magazine
May 7, 2019
Like many Americans, my cellphone is with me 24/7 — in the car, on my morning run, and yes, in the bathroom. I use it to check on my family, stay on top of my kids’ activities and navigate from point A to point B, among other things. But more and more, I’ve noticed that I also turn to my phone to fill what might otherwise be a quiet moment…
“Do We Really Need Screens for Kids in Fast Food Restaurants?”
Mom.com
January 23, 2019
It was a sweaty 104-degrees in Southern California and my boys were burned out on pool days. For the first time in their young lives, my 6-year-old twins, Max and Brian, and 4-year-old, Jack, agreed they wanted to visit an indoor playground or trampoline park…
“How I Found True Christmas Spirit in the Aisle of Trader Joe’s”
RealSimple.com
December 2018
It was the last day of school before Christmas break. My 5-year-old twins, Max and Brian, were coming down from a holiday cookie swap sugar rush, while my almost 3-year-old, Jack, had just awoken from a nap. We were primed for disaster…
“The Old Man Who Reminded Me of My Father”
PurpleClover.com
October 2018
When I headed outdoors on a warm Friday morning in September with my three sons, I wasn’t expecting to feel anything more than the physical high of getting outside for some exercise. The boys rode their bikes and scooters…
“The Science Behind Coincidence”
Discover Magazine
September 2018
The most notable coincidence in my life was just a few days shy of my first Thanksgiving without my dad — at least as I’d known him. He’d had heart surgery in January 2017, followed by complications ranging from strokes to a life-threatening bacterial infection…
“Learning to Breathe”
The New York Times
September 2017
When my third child was born, I felt extraordinary joy watching him turn from blue to pink in my arms — me holding my breath as he took his first…
“Fired Up: The neuroscience of reconnecting with an ex”
Discover
April 2017
When I arrived at the wine bar, there was only one open table — dimly lit and intimate. The booze, music and candlelight felt like a callback to our first kiss 15 years before…
“Life After Almost-Death”
Discover
April 2016
How a glimpse of the other side changes those who make it back.
“The Angel Next Door”
Good Housekeeping
August 2016
My sneakers struck the pavement at a steady pace as I ran through the streets of my neighborhood. It was 6 pm, prime time for people to be returning home from work…
“Being Sentenced To Bed Rest For 2 Months Saved My Marriage”
YourTango
December 2015
I was on lock-down, but I’ve never felt more loved. When I was 20 weeks pregnant with twin boys, my husband Brandon and I danced…
“No Good Deed”
Purple Clover
September 2015
In helping Steve, I was continuing a pattern of rescuing men who didn’t want to be saved
“Declaring War on the Thumb Leaves Battle Scars”
New York Times “Motherlode”
July 2015
A few months ago, I left the pediatrician’s office feeling as though I failed my children—and myself. With a new baby at home, my husband Brandon and I had become…
“A Labor to Love: The quest for a natural birth”
Parents
April 2015
I desperately wanted to experience natural childbirth, and I wasn’t going to let me C-section scar—or my doctor’s policy—stop me…
“Charlie and Me”
Purple Clover
November 2014
When my husband Brandon and I take a walk, I hold Charlie’s leash. I feed him, stroke his belly and give him treats. But Brandon is his hero. When he leaves…
“The Accidental In-Law”
Spirituality & Health
March-April 2014
I woke at 6 a.m. and started cooking: spinach and mushroom quiche, bacon-egg scramble, even chocolate-dipped strawberries. What if they don’t like the food?…
“The man who toyed with his affections”
LA Times
February 2014
When I met my husband, Brandon, online, we covered most of the essentials over email…
“The remarkably cool professor”
Purple Clover
February 2014
Little did I know that I’d become material for his lectures while he became an unsuspecting lifeline
“The Legend of Mujadara”
Table Matters
January 2013
Growing up, my two sisters and I chanted loudly for foods most kids would grimace at. Lima beans in a stew of tomato paste and water…
“Wellness: The Tumor Tour”
Valley Advocate
January 2012
For years, I unknowingly toted around a three-pound tumor, and no one gave me a second glance. But the moment surgeons removed the mass from my body, it began a collegiate tour that would put any high school valedictorian to shame.
“The Life You Save”
Notre Dame Magazine
Winter 2008-2009
It was a warm Easter Sunday. Steve and I walked along the boardwalk in our flip-flops, stopping at an outdoor café for mimosas. We breezed through the awkward conversations…
“Being Touched”
O The Oprah Magazine
October 2009
I sat on the counter in a frilly pink dress, my hair in two pigtails. The smell of warm corn tortillas and sweet butter wafted under my nose. Burt turned away from the stove…
“The Other Love of His Life”
Newsweek
April 2009
When I woke up to my boyfriend’s kisses on a warm morning in July, I felt guilty. It was her birthday. And I was in her house. With her husband. In her bed…
“The Art of the Grape Leaf”
Hallmark Magazine
February/March 2009
When my sisters and I were kids, our Lebanese grandmother would spend hours rolling delicate grape leaves…
“Take a Bath with a Stranger?”
The Los Angeles Times
June 2008
A dozen candles illuminated the bathroom with a soft glow — just enough light to see the bubbles and my glass of wine…
“The Picture of Health”
Everywoman
Spring 2007
Facing a major health crisis, I decided to try guided imagery. It turned out to be an indispensable part of healing my body and restoring balance to my life.
“Friendship, Advice and A Roll of the Dice”
Newsweek
September 2006
My mother’s raucous dice games annoyed me as a child, but they taught me what luck is really about.