About the time I turned two years old, my mom and I moved in with her parents, at their apartment in Secaucus, New Jersey. Two years later, my parents divorced, and my grandparents bought a five room, three bedroom ranch in Connecticut. Mom and I shared one room in that house for the better part of the next ten years.

A few years ago, I realized it would be wise for me to expand my circle of friends to include young people. Some of my closest friends range 15-25 years my senior, which puts them on the "likely to die before me" end of the spectrum. So, I opened to peppering my friend pool with youth.

I don't consider myself to be particularly political. My husband might disagree. Primarily, I believe in us as a people. Then, in any given moment, I observe the things going on in the world that I simply don't understand.

While most calendars track only the four seasons, more even than my least favorite, winter, I dread the invitation seasons. I loathe them all - holiday gatherings, social networking, weddings, bat mitzvahs, first communions, confirmations, baby showers, bridal showers, birthday celebrations, and graduations.

Ah! The tantalizing invitation to complain... my aches and pains, the cost of insurance-gas-cigarettes, the problems with the cable company, car issues, my boss-kids-spouse...all I ask is that you let me tell you my tale of woe. And when I see you next, I'll update you on everything that's wrong. Won't that be fun?

Just before the first of the year, my heart, more tender than ever - as I allow more love to flow through, took a sucker punch. Can one take a sucker punch to the heart?

“It's important for you to see and experience the cheetahs, because they haven't lost touch with their original programming. Cheetah is cheetah. Simple.”

Shaka - the first cheetah I ever laid eyes on at The Dell Cheetah Centre in October 2015. Upon arrival from the airport, we pulled up right next to his unique camp, and while a part of me pointed and internally screamed - "There's one right there!" - no sound escaped my throat. Thus began this love affair - a real case of love at first sight.

On the drive home from Delaware six years ago, after attending my Dad's funeral, I developed a theory. I took the age of each of my parents, when they died, and calculated the average. Then I decided, this number represents my personal lifespan.

At the end of July, my husband, Mark, and I celebrated his birthday with a long weekend in New York City. For many years, I detested NYC. I perceived the population as gazillions of maggots moving about the filthy city, in a rush to get the last bite. Talk about a small town girl intimidated by the Big Apple!

A few weeks ago, while listening to a work of easy going fiction, I experienced an "ah ha" moment. It's funny how things I "get" at one level, still have space to travel deeper down my internal elevator.

Are you thinking I should have titled this "Duel" instead of Dual? Maybe you're right. Or, perhaps both are true. I'm dedicating this piece to my dear friend, Beth, who called me after I published last month's newsletter saying, “I read your post, and it sounds like you're saying 'Don't trust yourself,' and I know that's not you, so explain!”

Glancing out my window a few days ago, I caught sight of a creature in my yard, that had no apparent right to be there. My first thought was "armadillo???" That couldn't be right! Armadillos don't live in New England. But what creature possessed such a long snout and that scaly-looking exterior?

While in the Doha airport, on my way to Australia, I glanced up at the television. The screen rolled from one image to another of the millions of women outfitted with pink knit hats, walking peacefully, celebrating their right to exist in solidarity. When planning my winter holiday, I had no idea what I'd be missing at home. I rarely experience regret, but I'll admit, there is a part of me that wishes my body had been walking with them...not just my spirit.

Remember that bit of wisdom - popular a few years ago - about the universe possessing a deaf ear to the word "not" or it's contraction counterparts? This includes don't, won't, and can't. The concept works this way: if you state, "I will not get sick" the universe hears, "I will get sick." The ether powers then respond to that energy.

Magic happens when we enter the unknown. To hang out in the unknown, though, requires a surrender of control. It means possessing faith in the greater, that we are inherently a part of - recognizing that each of us is truly a drop in the ocean - thereby, we are the ocean, with access to everything within.

Before embarking on my second South African adventure, I set a clear intention for myself. My definition of an intention: a desired "Feeling" experience. When I bring focus to the emotion, I free myself from attachment to how that may happen. I zero in on the clarity of my desired feeling, and send my request into the universe, surrendering control of the outcome.

A couple of years ago, a friend shared a perfect analogy with me about emotions. Emotional feelings are like the weather, they blow in... they blow out. Emotional states are not meant to be static. Consider, for a moment, any experience you may have had at a funeral "after party."

This past summer, living in Grand Canyon National Park eight days and seven nights, while traveling 225 miles of river, presented plenty of personal challenges. I mentioned several in my last post, so I won't prattle on about those, I'll introduce some new items...or perhaps better stated, I'll elaborate on one: the camping...ugh!

Nearly 14 years ago, my husband and I were both taken by surprise when I became unexpectedly pregnant. As a father of two, my husband welcomed this new being, while I freaked out. I don't seem to possess the mother gene, at least not of small children. I practiced poorly on my step-children, and the idea of permanently being identified as a mother disturbed me greatly.