Get Rid of the Junk

March 18, 2022 by Heather Reid in adulting, adultlife, finding quiet

Sometimes, the act of letting go is the first step towards truly moving forward.

The Big Sit

January 18, 2022 by Heather Reid in adultlife, COVID, finding quiet, work

In January of last year, I wrote about my then-new habit of LovingKIndness meditation. Throughout the tumult that was 2021, I resolved to be gentle to myself through this practice, and I committed to a year of once-daily meditation.

And I did.

The Gift

March 16, 2021 by Heather Reid in adultlife, celebrations, COVID, fashion, friends, finding quiet

Every year I make a calendar full of family photos each month. Pictures from last February document a dinner out with friends, donuts sampling all over town, an overnight sleepover with a favorite family at the Field Museum. Living life without a second thought. When I flipped the month over to March, the photos show a sharp shift in content: No friends, no sleepovers, nothing but us at home.

As I turned the calendar, I thought about how I might commemorate this past year. I don't want to forget it, because it's an important time in our lives, but obviously, it's not an experience I ever hope to repeat.

I’m Fine and Other Half-Truths of Where I am Now

February 21, 2021 by Heather Reid in COVID, adulting, adultlife, celebrations, finding quiet, memories, momlife

One day during a miserable time in my life, I was wandering around a neighborhood store when I saw a small, gray stone with the word Truth painted on it. I picked it up. The oval fit perfectly in my palm, and something shifted in me. I realized I’d been lying to myself, lying to those closest to me, just to get through each day.

Success through Kindness in the New Year

January 21, 2021 by Heather Reid in adulting, COVID, finding quiet, home

The cult of the ‘New Year, New You’ is hard to shake, but frankly, facing 50 is daunting. I'm not sure what being 50 is supposed to feel like, to look like. Where am I supposed to be after five decades of life?

I'm not sure, but I do know that I'm proud of making it through 2020, changed but still standing, mostly. So as I leap into 2021, I’m working less on fixing myself and more on loving myself.

A New Resolve

December 21, 2020 by Heather Reid in adulting, adultlife, celebrations, COVID, finding quiet, holiday, momlife

Last year I wrote about seasons of resolutions, which is my approach to adopting new habits a few months at a time in the New Year. Each quarter is an opportunity to grow and learn, and this process keeps me motivated throughout the year. I usually approach it with a spirit of renewal and change, with clarity and resolve.

This year, resolve has new meaning.

Weeding the Garden

October 14, 2020 by Heather Reid in adulting, COVID, finding quiet, friends, politics

That’s the thing about hate.

It starts off innocently enough, the tiniest sapling. You think you can ignore it, so you do. It doesn’t seem so dangerous, really. Maybe it’s not your problem. Someone else will take care of it. Then suddenly, there’s no light. And there’s no sign of what grew there before. The roots now run deep. It will take some sweat to claim back our garden.

The Power of Yes

May 21, 2020 by Heather Reid in adulting, chicago, family, feminism, finding quiet, home, kids

A few months BC (Before COVID), I read Year of Yes, by Shauna Rhimes. The premise is deceptively simple: Despite incredible professional success, the Queen of Shaunda Land felt lonely and unfulfilled. On a dare from her sister, Shaunda spent a year saying “Yes” to everything – speaking engagements, parties, working out, salads, events – and she found her new life surprisingly rewarding and exciting in ways she hadn’t imagined it could be.

I was inspired and energized as she told her story, but as I considered my own life, I felt like I was very, very far away from So Much Yes.

I said no. A lot.

Boys’ Rules for Life

March 15, 2020 by Heather Reid in adulting, family, finding quiet, home

I started writing this essay with the intention of providing advice for my sons as they grew into men. Some tips were specific (Change your socks every day); some general (Learn to be OK with failure), and some were based on my own life experience (Don't get married until you're 30). But as I observed my sons with a journalistic eye, I realized how much they can teach us all.

Resolve Beyond January

January 10, 2020 by Heather Reid in adulting, celebrations, finding quiet, holiday, momlife, work

Welcome to the New Year! Time to get off the couch and back to the real world where you are expected to wear pants and function in society once again. This year I’m setting goals through seasonal themes to keep me motivated beyond the New Year’s burst of enthusiasm. This structure offers a chance to check in throughout the year, rather than going out in a blaze of glory when Oreo launches a new flavor in January. (Side note: Chocolate marshmallow? That hardly seems fair.)