Tag: family

Hell Hath No Fury Like My Midlife Crisis

Julie Anderson

I never did tell you the full story. I like to condense my material into bite-sized bits. You know, so that you can swallow the truth. Teeny tiny bite-sized thoughts, that sprout from some teeny tiny place. Don’t be fooled, what is bite sized can choke you. Hell yes, it Read more

Julie Anderson

Julie Anderson is the Creator and Publisher of Feminine Collective. Julie was inspired to create this safe place for women to share their secrets, desires, triumphs and pain as the antithesis of what mainstream media offers women today. In her column Pursuit of Perfection, she explores the importance of rectifying the balance of inner and outer beauty through essays, poems and articles on self-esteem, shame, family, and self- acceptance.

A Tale of Two Daddies

Virginia and Donna

(… it was the best of times… it was the worst of times.) In the course of more than twenty-five years of friendship (and writing seven books together), we have discussed pretty much every subject under the sun at least a dozen times, and in a variety of moods from Read more

Virginia and Donna

VIRGINIA DEBERRY: Prior to becoming a successful plus-size model, Vice President of BB/LW modeling agency, spokesperson for Hanes Hosiery, editor-in-chief of Maxima magazine and bestselling novelist, Virginia taught high school English for 10 years. She is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo. Virginia currently resides in New Jersey where she is social media consultant and a founder of the New Brunswick Jazz Project, a non-profit jazz presenting organization. She also blogs about aging with style, wit and wisdom. DONNA GRANT: Donna spent more than a decade as a model, represented by the 12+ division of Ford. She has been featured on the pages of many magazines including Essence and McCall’s. Grant served as the Managing Editor of Maxima before her writing career. She attended Barnard College and is a graduate of New York University. A Brooklyn native, Donna is at work on a children’s book and is a founder of Footsteps to Follow, a group that presents career path information to youth in the five boroughs. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband. Best friends for nearly 30 years and writing together for 20, DeBerry & Grant are the “author” of seven novels: Uptown, Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made, Far From the Tree, Better Than I Know Myself, Gotta Keep on Tryin’, What Doesn’t Kill You, and Exposures.

Mute

Julie Anderson

All eyes, you watched. Noting the carnage, foibles and hypocrisy around you, You heard the lies that hid underneath the frosting on your birthday cake. You knew the truth that parents denied. You watched. You listened. You never forgot. You did not forgive. Segregation controlled the insane, you said. Boarding Read more

Julie Anderson

Julie Anderson is the Creator and Publisher of Feminine Collective. Julie was inspired to create this safe place for women to share their secrets, desires, triumphs and pain as the antithesis of what mainstream media offers women today. In her column Pursuit of Perfection, she explores the importance of rectifying the balance of inner and outer beauty through essays, poems and articles on self-esteem, shame, family, and self- acceptance.

Latina Entrepreneurs: We are Ready to be Heard

Stephanie Ortez

You have probably seen them before: Latina professionals depicted as sexy vixens on TV, wearing miniskirts or tight dresses; the sassy secretary with a naive style; the nightmare boss’s wife. Although the Hispanic community has become the largest minority group in the US, Latinas, in particular, have to fight against stereotypes Read more

Stephanie Ortez

Stephanie is a highly caffeinated mother of two wonderful boys. She is hopelessly addicted to non-fiction books and literature that moves her to tears. She is an admissions advisor for George Washington University online where she assists homeschooled students internationally. Stephanie lives with Bipolar Disorder, PTSD, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. She is a passionate mental health advocate, member of Stigma Fighters. Her writing has been featured on The Elephant Journal, The Mighty, The Organic Coffee Haphazardly and Feminine Collective.

Mom Says: Catechism or Soccer, You Pick

Michel Bordeau

I was around nine-years-old when I dealt with my first major existential crisis. It wasn’t about the grief of losing all my marbles in one game—real marbles; I played with real marbles. It wasn’t about getting my heart broken when my one-kiss girlfriend Laure relocated to the South of France, Read more

Michel Bordeau

My name is Michel Bordeau, aka Area Frenchman. I am a Therapist and an Education Coach in private practice in Atlanta. Born in France, I have spent half my life in the US. I am culturally French and academically American, so you can safely assume that I know a thing or two about love (gender respectful, validating, unconditional, non-threatening) and the pleasures of life (many friends, much cheese, little w(h)ine). When I don't blog about mansplaining, teen assertiveness, guru shaming, toxic work environments and toxic people, motherhood, mindful parenting, immigrant entrepreneurs, bipolar disorder and body dysmorphic disorder, I dedicate my time speaking about the lessons I have learned as a therapist and a coach. I am the host of Le Kindness Couch on Youtube. I created this channel to demonstrate that today's therapeutic modalities are kind, validating, and solution-focused. We don't read mind or blame your mom for everything.

We Lost Our Rings But Not Our Commitment

Mary Novaria

My husband’s gold wedding band disappeared early in our marriage. My dad lost his as a newlywed, too, leaving it on a public restroom sink. I chalked up their carelessness to being men who weren’t used to wearing jewelry and, even though I was a bit disappointed in my husband, Read more

Mary Novaria

Mary Novaria's is a two-time Writer's Digest award winner whose work has been featured in Oprah Daily, Washington Post, Spirituality & Health, Cosmopolitan, Feminine Collective, FF2 Media, HuffPost, and elsewhere. She and her husband are empty nesters who live in the mountains of Colorado with their rescue dog, Rooney. She is currently working on a novel.

Bipolar-speak: Being Neuro-Normal Sucks

Michel Bordeau

I have experienced mood swings for over 25 years, rapid cycling from mild depression to 3-5 episodes of humanly manageable mania/hypomania. Until last year, I have been fairly ‘blessed’ with my manic phases: no drugs, no bankruptcy, no sex à gogo, though, a lot of bridges abruptly dismantled and painstakingly Read more

Michel Bordeau

My name is Michel Bordeau, aka Area Frenchman. I am a Therapist and an Education Coach in private practice in Atlanta. Born in France, I have spent half my life in the US. I am culturally French and academically American, so you can safely assume that I know a thing or two about love (gender respectful, validating, unconditional, non-threatening) and the pleasures of life (many friends, much cheese, little w(h)ine). When I don't blog about mansplaining, teen assertiveness, guru shaming, toxic work environments and toxic people, motherhood, mindful parenting, immigrant entrepreneurs, bipolar disorder and body dysmorphic disorder, I dedicate my time speaking about the lessons I have learned as a therapist and a coach. I am the host of Le Kindness Couch on Youtube. I created this channel to demonstrate that today's therapeutic modalities are kind, validating, and solution-focused. We don't read mind or blame your mom for everything.