Posts by Dara Kurtz
Don’t Lose Your Head
It’s hard to stay positive all the time. We all have things that can trigger us, impact our mood, and set us off. Most of the time I’m in a pretty good place, but sometimes, I get thrown off my game. We all do. We lose our head. Nothing triggers me more than when I…
Read MoreYou Can’t Read on the Beach with a Baby
Summer’s here, school’s out, and many of you are probably off to the beach, or eventually headed that way. As for me, the girls and I are at the beach for a week and Jon’s at home working. We feel sorry about leaving him, but not sorry enough to stay home. Hey, what can I…
Read MoreAre You Making Good Choices?
Whenever I drop my kids off anywhere, I’ve gotten into the habit of saying, “I love you, have fun, make good choices.” I’m not exactly sure when this started, but it’s stuck. The older they get, the more important it is for them to know they need to be responsible for their actions and the…
Read MoreIf You’re Going to Eat It, You Might As Well Enjoy It
The other day I was out to lunch with a friend. We’d eaten the “normal” salads we always eat, and the waiter came and asked if we wanted dessert. Something we usually don’t get. “That sounds so good, ” my friend said, “If I get some, will you eat it with me?” “Sure,” I said.…
Read MoreIf Only My Husband Would Listen to Me
My husband, Jon, is hosting a work party here on Friday night. This past weekend, I asked him a number of times what I could do to help him with this party. I don’t like waiting until the last minute to get things done. It stresses me out and makes me anxious. And I’m not…
Read MoreRock-N-Roll, Even if You Aren’t Cool
I had an epiphany the other day in the car. One I’m sure my kids have had many times. For some reason, however, I was slow to grasp the concept. But after the other day, well, there’s no denying it anymore. I’m completely, totally, undeniably “uncool.” Yep. I’m so off the charts “uncool,” there’s no…
Read MoreGraduation: the Bitter Sweet Unavoidable Moment
It’s graduation season. It seems today there’s a ceremony for everything: moving up from kindergarten to first grade, elementary school to middle school, and of course, the biggest of all, graduation from high school. Each of these moments is bitter sweet. We wonder how our children can already be at their current stage. We wonder…
Read MoreHappiness Must be Grown in One’s Own Garden
You’d have to be living under a rock to not know about Bruce Jenner’s recent transformation into Caitlyn. It’s everywhere. The news, magazines, TV, Facebook. It seems to be the top story. I can’t imagine what he went through as a man, how unhappy he was, and what a constant internal battle he was fighting.…
Read MoreAre You Your Worst Enemy?
Have you ever sabotaged your own joy because you didn’t think you deserved to have something work out the way you wanted it to work out? Maybe you didn’t think you were entitled to be happy? Or worthy? You probably didn’t even realize you were doing it. I’ve noticed this pattern in a close friend,…
Read MoreIn Living Color
Gratitude noun “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness” It sounds simple enough. But living it, well, that’s a different story. I’ve always been a thankful person. I have good manners. I am appreciative when someone does something nice for me, and I’ve taught my kids to do…
Read More