A few weeks ago, our family had a particularly rough week. Over the course of two days, we suffered injuries, violent stomach bugs and the death of a loved one. It was brutal, exhausting and a bit overwhelming. After we survived this hard week, as we knew we would, I realized that if you weren’t […]
Colleen Cook, Thrive Correspondent
Posted inWellness
Am I taking everything for granted?
Life can change forever in a moment. We all know that on some level, of course. Either we’ve been there, or we’ve witnessed someone we know whose entire life was upended by a random moment that stopped everything dead in its tracks. When life-changing moments happen, I yearn for a deeper understanding of whether there […]
Posted inWellness
Reflecting on an ending decade and casting a vision for a new one
In 2010, I was a newlywed, living in a tiny old apartment in northern Virginia pursuing my master’s degree. My husband worked nights as a security guard for a Ford warehouse while I tried to figure out what direction to go in life. The impact of the 2008 recession had sidelined my plans to teach […]
Posted inWellness
Waiting expectantly through Advent
Confession: I peek at the presents. That’s not such a big confession these days, since I’m the mom and now I buy all the presents too. But, if I wasn’t responsible for buying the gifts, I’d still sneak a peek at them, I suspect. As a kid, I would search the house for my mom’s […]
Posted inWellness
Eating healthy through the holidays
Over the past year, I’ve been on a journey to lead a healthier lifestyle. My relationship with my body, food and exercise has dramatically changed for the better as I’ve learned what nourishes my body and how much my physical health impacts the health of my mind and spirit. This will be the first holiday […]
Posted inWellness
Embrace the small, fleeting moments
The past few days have been particularly good. On Friday, my oldest daughter Eloise warmed our hearts with a generous act of love for her sisters. For several months, she saved up “Awesome Bucks,” a positive behavior incentive at her after school program, until she had fifty to buy a mermaid tail blanket for her […]
Posted inWellness
Using the Five Love Languages to transform your holiday
As a child, I often would awaken in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve. I’d sneak downstairs and by the light of the Christmas tree, peek at the presents that had filled the corner of our living room. The promise and excitement bundled under our tree filled my heart to bursting. It’s not […]
Posted inWellness
Moving beyond small talk to meaningful conversation
I’ve never been one for small talk. I am always seeking after a deeper, more meaningful conversation. The problem with small talk is that it’s completely generic; the same conversation can be had with anyone with nothing meaningful taken away on either side, at best leaving the relationship at the same level of depth as […]
Posted inWellness
Setting Intentions for a meaningful holiday season
I love the spirit of the holidays, and I especially love to give and receive gifts. I spend a lot of time thinking about what to give someone and try to zero in on the perfect gift for my loved ones each holiday. The moment when someone opens a gift I’ve given them and they […]
Posted inWellness
Four principles that could help you climb out of a rut
For the past two weeks, I struggled to shake a bad mood and get back in my groove. It seemed like at every turn, I was realizing something I’d overlooked or a detail that had escaped me. I felt extra emotional about tiny problems, and I felt unmotivated to do the things I normally enjoy. […]