We’ve all got that comfy spot we throw ourselves into when we need to relax, be it lounging on the sofa, sprawling out on the bed, or kicking back in a patio chair. Adults and children need breaks to decompress every now and then. While working at a preschool for children with special needs, the … Continue reading How “Calm Corner” Spaces Build Social / Emotional Skills for Children
My dad was the first man I ever saw cry. The second was my grandpa. I was in fourth grade when the priest at our church passed away. That was the first time I experienced death, and the first time I saw tears slip down my father’s cheeks. In future years, I would see him cry … Continue reading I Like My Men Emotional
In one year, I will have paid off my undergrad student loans. For the past 10 years, I allocated $289/month on an average annual salary of $25,000 doing what I loved. I made it work by transferring $1,000 every few months into a separate bank account solely for auto payments for my student loans. Out … Continue reading So I’m Gonna Be a Teacher…
I’ve been working with children at a special education preschool for the past 4 months, and the students have taught me a thing or two about being an adult and, quite simply, a human being. 1. Have your own feelings, and let others have theirs. Instead of describing someone as “overly sensitive,” use the words … Continue reading 7 Life Lessons I’ve Learned from Preschoolers with Special Needs
It’s been three years but I still think of you. I remember you before, I remember you during, and I remember you after. You don’t invade my dreams like you used to, robbing me of sleep each time I tried to close my eyes. You don’t make me nauseous like you did when I first … Continue reading Dear Joaquin
I’m 30 and it feels good. I wouldn’t change my past, but I have certainly learned from it. So here’s my 30-year-old self telling my 40-year-old, 50-year-old, and 60-year-old selves some words of wisdom that took me three decades to grasp. 1. Self care isn’t all about treat yo self. It means shedding the parts … Continue reading 30 Things I’ve Learned in 30 Years
Yesterday, I came across a quote by Indie Wire writer David Ehrlich in his review of this year’s leading Oscar nominees. He said: “Great acting isn’t about becoming someone else so much as it’s about becoming who you really are.” The sentiment hit me hard, because I’ve been analyzing my character work in film and … Continue reading Acting: To Be Me or Not to Be Me? That Is the Question
My best friend knows me about as well as I know myself, and he is the one person in the world that I have told everything to. Part of the beauty of our friendship is that I don’t feel that I have to tell him everything but I know that I can and want to … Continue reading The Art of Listening: Stop Telling, Start Hearing, Give Feeling
When I was twelve years old, I sat in the back seat of my dad’s car rifling through the beach bag looking for something to drink. I saw the word “lemonade,” opened the bottle, and took a swig. “Dad?” I said. “This lemonade tastes weird.” My dad peered in the rearview mirror and calmly told … Continue reading No I Don’t Drink, Yes I’m Vegan, And Can We Move On?
I held the pink, laminated reusable boarding pass in my hand, rubbing my finger over its bubbled edges. The weight shifted in my backpack as I re-situated it on my shoulders and picked up my laptop case. I handed my paper ticket to a woman behind the metal fence and walked along the concrete to … Continue reading The Stranger on a Plane Who Saw My Broken Heart
Stacey Venzel 