Jodi Rae

The holidays were very different for me this year. My girls are adults now, and I know some traditions mean a lot to them, but not being in a place of my own changed everything. Their stockings were in storage. The cookie cutters were in storage. Ornaments. In storage. My past. In storage. So it looked different. It felt different. And somehow… that was okay. I’m starting to realize how many traditions actually just add stress to people. This year I paid attention to what really mattered....

My mom used to say she could be in a room full of people and still feel lonely at times. I understand that now, in a way I didn’t when I was younger. Her mom, my grandma, lost her husband when she was 40. She never remarried. She lived alone until she was 93. And yet, she never talked about being lonely. She traveled. She moved. She lived in different places. She bought cars. She did what she pleased. Somewhere along the way, I think my mom gave parts of that adventurous spirit up. Not...

Somedays life somehow pushes me forward even when I’m dragging my feet. The part inside of me that encourages rather than discourages is getting louder. I did a thing. Something I’ve talked myself out of for years: I finally applied for a home loan. And let me tell you, the mental gymnastics leading up to that were Olympic-level. My brain: Jodi, what are you thinking? You won’t qualify. You can’t own a house. You don’t know what you’re doing. Play it safe. Just do an apartment. That’s what...