Category Archives: book

I’m Scared & Doing It Anyway

My friend, coach, and mentor, Lauree, has written a memoir called, I’m scared & doing it anyway: How a little white blob changed my life.  I thought you should know about it because she’s awesome and so is her book and you can buy it today.  Right now, actually.  Just click (—>) here (<—).

The blob happens to be a brain tumor (her brain tumor) and the book is, in Lauree’s own words, “about the choices you make when you don’t feel like you have any.”  I had the chance to read an excerpt and I can tell you that it’s also about how unexpected and life changing a health scare – or any kind of scare – can be.  And about how scary things magnify what’s right and wrong in our lives.  And about how even though scary things are scary, they’re also invaluable opportunities to make new and different choices and – just maybe – discover our truest selves.

I planned ahead for this post.  Yesterday afternoon it was a few drafts from being complete when I heard on the news that there were two explosions at the finish line at the Boston Marathon.

The post was supposed to be about how Lauree’s book made me think about motherhood.  Not because brain tumors and motherhood are the same, but because motherhood, on occasion, is a scary proposition.  Like yesterday evening when I tucked my sweet children in bed after learning that among the dead in Boston was an eight-year-old boy.

Motherhood is scary.  So is running a marathon, and so is living through and living with terrorism.  To all of the runners who trained tirelessly to qualify for the Boston Marathon and didn’t get to cross the finish line, my heart aches for you.  To everyone and their loved ones who were hurt, or worse, my entire body aches for you.

Last night, I thought about Lauree’s book launch and how it was too bad that it was going to happen while this big and scary story unfolded.  Then I realized the timing couldn’t be more perfect.

For some of us, the little while blob is a brain tumor.  For some of us, it’s motherhood.  For some of us, it’s the senseless injury and death of hundreds and the fear that grips us when we no longer feel safe in the world in which we live.

I can’t help but think about being in New York City on 9/11 when the ground shook, the sky was black, and the air smelled of death.  On that day, I was scared.  Today, I’m equally stunned and afraid and equally hopeful that I’ll find it within myself to live without fear, expose my heart, and hug the people I love.

I’m scared & doing it anyway.

If you’ve ever felt this way, you’ll love Lauree’ book.  Learn more about it here.  And check out her amazing coaching services here.  And follow her on Facebook and Twitter.  And sign up to read her blog.  And buy her book.  Did I mention that already?

Are you scared & doing it anyway? 

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Filed under book, fear, September 11th

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree (A List!)

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the fears Dylan has overcome over the last few years.  Bounce houses and spaghetti come to mind right away, but there have been many walls that have, thankfully, come down.   Recently, he announced that he’s no longer afraid of (1) hand dryers in public bathrooms, (2) the monorail at the zoo, (3) the ocean, and (4) the dentist.  I know the first three to be true (I was a witness to them all…the ocean frolicking happened just yesterday!), but I’m not sure I buy the dentist bit.  He has a cleaning coming up, which will either affirm or refute his declaration.  As the tortured Mama who accompanies him on these dental appointments, I sure hope he’s right.

Anyway, it got me thinking about my own fears – the rational and  not so rational ones.  I made a list (surprise!) of everything I’m afraid of, and the scary thing (pun intended) is that it didn’t take very long to reach #26 (gulp), and I’m pretty sure there’s more to add.

Things I’m Afraid Of (in no special order)

  1. Neti pots
  2. Deep ocean water
  3. Power outages
  4. Tasers
  5. Bees
  6. Snakes
  7. Spiders/spider webs
  8. General anesthesia
  9. Death
  10. Poltergeist (1982)
  11. Sleepovers (feared as a child and now as a Mama)
  12. Balconies on cruise ships (see #2 and #9 for context)
  13. Vomit
  14. Lice
  15. Public bathrooms in parks
  16. Being tickled
  17. extra large dragon flies (in my house)
  18. Banks, post offices, gas stations, and fast food establishments (places where I have irrationally concluded that random acts of violence are likely to occur)
  19. Throat cultures (I have a a serious gag reflex, see #13)
  20. Serial killers (I watch at least 30% of The Following, which is sooo good, with my eyes and ears covered)
  21. Vans (not minivans, but cargo vans, the kind people drive when they kidnap kids)
  22. Flying (on airplanes)
  23. Cancer
  24. Failure
  25. Periodontal disease
  26. Police officers on motorcycles pointing radar speed guns at cars in school zones (makes my heart race every time)

To my dearest Dylan,

The apple certainly doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?  I’m sorry. 

Love,

Mommy

What are you afraid of?

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Filed under book, cancer, death, dentist, fear, list, sensory processing disorder