The Balanced Path ~ Voices of the Collective
How to Have the Hard Conversations (Instead of Venting to Everyone BUT the Person You Need to Talk To)
Why is it so hard to have adult conversations?
Why do we twist ourselves into emotional pretzels, swallow our truth, and worry more about protecting someone else’s feelings than honoring our own?
And yes — why are we so damn afraid to speak up, even when the conversation could strengthen the relationship, reveal the truth of the connection, or finally give us some peace?
The Silent Pressure Building: Why So Many Moms Feel Holiday Anxiety Before December Even Starts
Most people think holiday stress starts sometime around mid-December, when the calendar fills up and the wrapping paper comes out.
But moms? Puh-lease.
We feel it long before that.
Often before we even realize what’s happening.
There’s a quiet ticking that kicks on right after Halloween — a mental countdown that starts even if we’re still eating leftover candy and pretending we’re not hearing “Jingle Bells” in the grocery store. It’s subtle, almost invisible from the outside, but it’s powerful.
Resilience Isn’t About Moving On—It’s About Moving Forward
Loss can be like a powerful tornado that wrecks everything you once knew. When it hits you, you hold on to something as tight as you can, and you manage to survive the violent gusts of wind that come and go. You wonder if you will survive this. You worry about your loved ones, and wonder if they will survive it. You hold your children tightly. You are in survival mode, just going through the motions.
Anxiety is Grief’s Unwelcome Companion
Death reminds us of the finality of life. We normally push that bitter awareness out of our conscious mind. Most people don’t think about death until it walks in, uninvited, to remind us that everything that matters to us will eventually go away. It doesn’t mean you didn’t know people die. It just means that up to this point, you weren’t expecting it to happen to you.
Boundaries and Grief: Listening to Yourself While Grieving
When you're grieving, your body and mind are working overtime to adjust to the reality of your loss. It’s completely normal to feel exhausted and need more sleep than usual. This is your nervous system doing the hard work of trying to protect and heal you.
The Invisible Workload: A Beach Scene I Can’t Shake
I sat there quietly, pretending to read while sipping my iced drink, but I was watching her.
The mom. Doing all the things.Watching her hit me harder than expected. Because how many moms are just like her?
How to Not Lose Your Sh*t This Summer (‘Cuz the Kids Are Always Home!)
Summer is just around the corner. The kids will be home all the time, snacks will be vanishing like magic tricks, and you can already hear "Mom!" echoed every 3.2 seconds…but who’s counting?!