Marilyn, Aphrodite and You

There is a famed story about Marilyn Monroe walking down 5th Avenue in New York City with a friend, clad in a headscarf and raincoat, discussing fame and stardom. New Yorkers bustled by, not paying Norma Jean any attention. She turned to her friend and asked, “Do you...

Vulnerability, Resilience and Asking For Help

“What is your current resilience factor?” I asked a client recently. I could have made a batch of gluten-free cookies in the pause before her answer. “I don’t think I’m very resilient at all,” she said in a measured tone, trying to hide that she was weeping. “Woo-hoo,...

Vulnerability and Strength

There’s an old saying that goes something like: We must learn to bend like the willow tree or we may snap like the mighty oak. I love watching the sway of willow trees in the wind. There is a gracefulness and beauty as their limbs flutter. Allowing yourself to flow...

Invisibility in Middle Age

In exploring the great invisibility of middle-aged women, I decided to do my geek out thing and look up the definition of invisible in several dictionaries. Whether as a noun or adjective, invisible speaks to something or someone being unrecognized or ignored and...

The Power Of The Middle Part 2

About two years ago I unwittingly stumbled upon what I now know is the cultural invisibility of women in their middle years. Clients shared about feeling overlooked at work in spite of their loyalty as an employee. Single clients and friends talked about feeling...