modernmatriarch

“When God hands you a gift, he also hands you a whip.” Truman Capote I discovered this quote in the introduction of The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner.  Lerner continues by say, “Now I understand that writers are a breed apart, their gifts and their whips inextricably linked. The writer’s psychology is by nature one of extreme duality.” I breathed a sigh of relief. My soul danced for joy. Ms. Lerner’s words were so well timed in my life that their presence can only be described as a... Read Full Story

When I first moved to Columbus, Georgia, well meaning locals advised me of the ‘wrong’ parts of town, places that might be dangerous for a single girl like me. I heeded their warnings; after all, they had much more experience in that area than I did. They were happy and secure. Well,  at least they appeared to be. So, I stayed far away from those parts of town, in fact, I went as far as I could in the opposite direction. A few years later, I was a college student, with a limited income, and... Read Full Story

My daughter is gifted. She is being raised bilingual. We live in Miami were the school system accepts bilingualism as a fact. Her father is Cuban. In his house, the family speaks Spanish. At my house, we use English (she objects to my second-hand Spanish that doesn’t sound quite right to her—for some reason this makes me laugh). I love the little grammatical errors that occur when people shift back and forth between languages. I am really the last person you want to practice your English... Read Full Story

Some days, I do not know what I am going to write until I sit down at my computer. I often put in random word searches and see what links and images come up. Today, I started searching “defining beliefs” and “challenging beliefs.” I knew there was a connection. I discovered my spiritual beliefs at a very young age, and I think that is because I was exposed to so many options. When I started to pick and choose what I believed to be true, those beliefs where rigorously challenged by a mother... Read Full Story

I know this may hard for some of you to believe, but I am like Hip Hop. I grew up in rural Maine. It was a time when glam rock ruled my small high school. It was a screechy, drug induced scene that I was never really attracted to. I found myself drawn into the British Pop world of MTV, where things at least appeared happy; even sad songs where sung in a gitchy, upbeat tempo.  Being a music lover, I was a member of the high school chorus. One year we went to Philadelphia, to perform at... Read Full Story

I don’t have any statistical evidence backing this up, but I am pretty sure the phrase, “I just want you to learn from my mistakes,” follows most unwanted parental advice. The more mistakes your parents have made, the more likely you will hear this phrase. It is a sincere declaration, an expression of hope that we will make better choices, lead a better life, than they did. Sometimes that is easier said than done. When I was younger, I swore I would not make the same mistakes as my mother... Read Full Story

Protect – verb: to cover or shield from injury or danger Defend-verb: to ward off attack from; guard against assault or injury If you look up the definitions for the words “protect” and “defend,” they are very similar. In fact, depending on your dictionary, you might even find “protect” in the definition of “defend” or “defend” in the definition of “protect,” but I would like to make a subtle distinction. It is a distinction I recently learned myself. I believe the true difference between... Read Full Story

Anyone who knows me would say “Tricia LOVES coffee.” And they would be right . . . sort of. I think I love what coffee represents more. What leads me to this conclusion? Two things: I very rarely finish a cup of coffee. Quite often I drink half (slowly), and throw out the remaining cold coffee. Second, I have a coffee machine at home. Yet, I can make a cup of coffee (only drinking half) and still stop for a coffee at my local coffee shop. Why do I do this? Why not just make a big cup in an... Read Full Story

Well, it looks like I have already dropped the ball with this whole post a day thing. Or have I? Oh I know, I have not been posting here on wordpress.com. There is no physical evidence of all my hard work, but what does that really prove? I’ve come to realize I write a lot in my head. My mind is working all the time. Even when I am sleeping, I am piecing things together, rearranging the universe. Then, at some point, I am compelled to sit down and commit it to writing. Commitment; now there... Read Full Story

Topic #255 on The DailyPost : How do you change your habits? Every eight weeks, I conduct new student orientations at the college where I work. The orientation begins with five key values for academic and post academic success. The first key value is flexibility. I begin with a quote: “The bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless you refuse to take the turn” (anonymous). There are only three reasons why anyone ever changes: 1.      You’re tired of the way things are. 2... Read Full Story