I sat in the sterile office staring out the window covered in blinds that had at least a quarter inch thick of dust obstructing my lackluster view of the highway. Once I started talking and tears were flowing, I asked for a kleenex. I had forgotten that I already had the box behind me. 

The last 14 months seem to have brought up more grief than I can remember in my life. It’s been a lot to process grieving the loss of celebrating milestones with friends and family, the loss of jobs, the loss of school community and school events, the loss of holiday gatherings, the loss of loved ones old and young, the loss of social connections and the loss of travel. 

Since I can’t time travel to my pre-Covid, less grief filled life, I’ve been doing some of my own grief processing. I was reminded about the five stages of grief model introduced by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her 1969 book On Death and Dying. The five stages are denial, anger, bargaining,...

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!”

When my incoming text messages sound like pinball machine bells, I don’t have to look to see who it is. 

I know it’s my college girlfriends.

For over two decades we’ve seen each other through break ups, marriage, babies, death, moves and new jobs. 

There’s nothing like seeing (someday) or talking to them and knowing that we can pick up wherever we left off no matter how much time has passed. I’m so grateful for my forever friends. 

This week, many of us are looking back at a year in isolation and can’t wait to see our friends again (hopefully) very soon. 

This made me think of how there's one familiar friend that I recommend you leave in your dark, Covid past. 

Your dieting bestie. 

I’ll admit this bestie is unique. She’s familiar (hard to remember your life without her), she’s fun for a while (hello weight loss in the beginning of all day cottage cheese and...