When Madonna appeared on one of Oprah’s last shows this week, that’s what she said we’ve learned from Oprah, “Never. Ever. Give. Up.” Ironically, I’ve been gathering notes for this article for the last few days because this phrase has been popping into my consciousness a lot lately. A profile in MORE Magazine on first time novelist, Kathryn Stockett, The Help, carried as its theme, “Don’t Give Up.” Stockett received, amazingly, 60 rejections over a three-year period until a wise agent picked up her manuscript and proceeded to sell it in three weeks time! People told her she was crazy, to move on to something else. But, she never gave up. Ever. She kept revising, submitting, revising, and submitting. There are numerous stories like this, from Thomas Edison to Henry Ford, to Diane von Furstenberg, to J.K. Rowling, where the odds were stacked against success, and success still came after... Read more →

I've been through it all, baby, I'm mother courage. ~ Elizabeth Taylor Mother's Day. Days like this can't help but bring reflection, whether you're a mother or not. In fact, in my close community there is a good number of women are not mothers, in the sense that they have birthed a child. There was a time when there was a pretty big stigma that came along with a woman who didn't have children, whether it was by her own choosing or not. And, there still is a certain level of judgment or event pity in some minds, in some circles. Me with my Mom (pregnant with my sister) and my Grandmas I have so much admiration for mothers who are dedicated to raising and nurturing, loving their offspring. I have a fabulous mother whose priorities and dedication never wavered as I struggled through painful adolescence into adulthood. She rocks!... Read more →