By: Vanessa June 24, 2019June 28, 2019 Family, Lifechildbirth, delivery, drug-free, fears, featured, focus, hopeful, labor, mental, motherhood, natural, prepare, support2 Comments

To The First-time Mama Wanting a Natural Birth

Dear first-time mama wanting a natural birth, You have your reasons. And just like you don’t judge other women for their chosen method of birth, you hope they don’t judge you, either. You wish for some understanding and you crave their support. Maybe you want to avoid drugs while your baby is still in your…

If I Could Carve Her Path

“You’ll understand someday when you have kids”, said every parent, ever.

And we hate that they were right.

When I look back on pictures of myself as a teen, I don’t recognize me.

It has less to do with the white, shimmery eyeshadow and flared jeans, and more to do with everything that stage of life was — what it is for everyone. The dreaded, scary, awkward path to finding yourself.

By: Vanessa March 15, 2019June 6, 2019 Family, Lovebattle, confidence, daughter, emotion, featured, feeling, heart, Love, sensitiveLeave a Comment

My dear hyper-sensitive daughter, I feel for what you’re in for

My dear baby girl, I see it starting. When I put your jacket on and your sleeve bunches up and you scream and shake your head. When I walk away from you for a brief moment and your bottom lip curls under and tears well up in your eyes. When the laughter of others around…

Digital illustration by Brian Michael Sfinas

By: Vanessa February 7, 2019March 11, 2019 Life, Lossadolescence, childhood, creativity, featured, free-spirit, friendship, gift, grief, honesty, Loss, mourning, poetry, talent, tragedyLeave a Comment

But, I Don’t Dance Like you Dance

How was I the last to know? I must have been so engulfed in the sleepless nights of a two month old that I missed the memorial Facebook posts and mournful tributes to your life. There were thousands of miles and year’s worth of living between us, but after hearing of your passing almost a…

The Cracks That Make Us Whole

In trying to protect him I had probably done the worst possible thing…

What’s My Why?

Read about my purpose as a writer and why this site is here. Thank you for joining me!

4 Things Moms of Kids with Food Allergies Need You to Know

I’m beyond grateful to the TODAY Parents and TODAY Show communities for helping spread awareness about food allergies.

The Backbone of the American Dream

By: Vanessa May 27, 2019September 9, 2019

Family, LifeAmerican Dream, choice, freedom, gratitude, immigrants, Liberty, Life, pursuit of happiness, strength, suburbs, values, veterans, work ethicLeave a Comment

If you’d asked me as a teenager, I’d have told you for sure I’d be getting out of here. That there’s no way at 33 years old I’d be living in my hometown where the biggest attraction is the Baseball Hall of Fame, 40 miles away. That I’d be raising a family not two minutes…

That Look of More Than Love

By: Vanessa May 14, 2019June 6, 2019

Family, Loveadmiration, appreciation, connection, deep, Family, give and take, longing, look, Love, marriage, memories, partner, respect, spouse

Ever had that look in your eye? Not the look of that dapper man staring straight into your soul, but the look of that girl on his left staring right into his heart. It’s a look made not of love alone. It’s the reflection of a bond strengthened by truths confessed, “I-love-you-even-thoughs“, and the comfort…

4 Things Moms of Kids with Food Allergies Need You to Know

By: Vanessa May 6, 2019June 6, 2019

Family, Lifealert, Allergies, anaphylaxis, awareness, caution, deadly, Food, health, motherhood, parenting, protect, scaryLeave a Comment

I wrote this post in honor of Food Allergy Awareness week (May 12-18, 2019), and it was featured on the TODAY Parents and the TODAY Show Facebook pages, generating over 2000 shares between the two platforms. I’m incredibly grateful to the TODAY Community for helping to spread awareness for this important topic.

closeup of two sneakers on a red track surface, blue sky with pine trees in the distance

A New Season

Something changes when you become a writer. Time slows. You begin to savor the tiniest experiences. You breathe in the details and your mind races for the perfect descriptions to relive them through written word. Simplicities become complexities, yet somehow, everything seems simpler. Spring is breaking, and it’s a perfect day for a run on the…

When the Sun Came Out Again

She was born during a snow storm in the middle of December in upstate New York, where the winters are long and grey. Returning home with her from a week-long NICU stay was the start of one of the most trying times in my life. I was relieved to have her home. Relieved that she was…

The biggest writing mistake I’ll never make again…

Urban Dictionary defines a “troll” as someone who deliberately pisses people off in an online newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption, argument, or to get a reaction. Seasoned writers know to avoid interaction with these people at all costs. However, I’m fairly new at this. I recently had a personal essay published…

Christmas — Filled with Fortune, Fraught with Guilt

🎶”It’s Christmas time.”🎵 The first line of a Christmas classic by charity music group ‘Band Aid 30’ rings through the car speakers. I fight the urge to change the station even though I know that dreaded verse is coming… “And the Christmas bells that ring there, are the clanging chimes of doom. Well tonight thank…

When You Think You’ve Got it Together, but Nope

By: Vanessa September 27, 2018March 11, 2019

Life, Self Reflectionacceptance, chaos, disheveled, disorganized, domestic, fashion, mess, mom, motherhood, procrastinate, self-awareness, self-care, workingLeave a Comment

I didn’t write the book on “the new mom feeling of failure”. It’s not a new concept by any means, but the past few months I’ve been extremely hard on myself. Like, way worse than normal and should be acceptable. I basically feel like an epic mess in every aspect of life and motherhood. Dog…

Mother and baby girl facing each other and laughing

Mondays Hurt

By: Vanessa August 13, 2018February 11, 2019

Family, Life, Love, Self Reflectionbaby, balance, Family, Life, Love, mom, motherhood, weekends, working, working momLeave a Comment

“You shouldn’t live your life for the weekends”, they say. But right now, I do. When I arrive at my office on Monday mornings, a giant void fills me and I’m already counting the hours to 4pm. It’s not because I hate my job. It’s not because my nights and weekends are filled with spontaneity…

Dining room with parquet flooring and moving boxes scattered about

The Hole in my Heart Where Home Used to Be

— *at home 1 : relaxed and comfortable : at ease This morning, Facebook reminded me that exactly one year ago was the last time I set foot in the house I considered home for nearly 30 years. Two years after my parents put it on the market, the sign on the lawn now read…

Grandfather sits in a beach chair with little girl playing beside him in the sand

A letter to Grandpa, in Heaven

By: Vanessa July 30, 2018March 11, 2019

Family, Life, Loss, Self ReflectionFamily, grandfather, grattitude, humor, influence, Loss, Love, memories, morals, reflection, sorrow, valuesLeave a Comment

Originally written in Cocoa Florida, April, 2012 A rainy day in a place where you spent so much of your life seems like a good day for reflection. One of my deepest sorrows in life is not having gotten to know you longer—to have shared more of my life with you. All I really have…