Our parents write the opening chapters. We spend the rest of our lives discovering that we are the author of everything that comes after. I spent the past couple of days with my family. Although I talk to my mother on the phone several times each week, I only see my parents a few times a year because they live more than three hours away. My mother is a remarkably strong and resilient woman. She was 17 when I was born and she went on to graduate from Emory as a registered nurs

There has never been a shortage of beautiful women. Every generation has them. Faces that turn heads. Eyes that photographers chase. Smiles the world never quite forgets. But every once in a while… someone possesses two kinds of beauty. The first is obvious. The second has to be discovered. The first opens doors. The second opens hearts. Sophia Loren possessed both. When I visited Rome, I couldn’t help but imagine all of the extraordinary people who had walked those same cobb

No one should stay in a job because they feel they have no choice. Sometimes the greatest gift an interview gives us isn't a new position—it's a renewed understanding of our own value. There's something surprisingly empowering about interviewing for a new position. Not because you're unhappy. Not because you're desperate to leave. But because interviewing has a wonderful way of introducing you to... yourself. When someone across the table begins asking thoughtful questions ab

The world first noticed their faces. History remembered their hearts. There has never been a shortage of beautiful women. Every generation has them. Faces that turn heads. Eyes that photographers chase. Smiles the world never quite forgets. But every once in a while… someone possesses two kinds of beauty. The first is obvious. The second has to be discovered. The first opens doors. The second opens hearts. Elizabeth Taylor possessed both. If Audrey Hepburn taught us that kind

Some people become more beautiful because of who they are. When we think of beauty, we often think about symmetry. Perfect skin. Beautiful eyes. Elegant clothes. The right hairstyle. The right figure. But every once in a while, someone comes along who changes our definition of beauty entirely. Audrey Hepburn was one of those rare people. If Grace Kelly taught us that grace is something we become... Audrey Hepburn teaches us that kindness is something we give away. And somehow

There are some people whose very names evoke a feeling. Helen. Cleopatra. Marilyn. Diana. And then there is Grace. What a beautiful name. Not because it belonged to a princess. But because she spent her life becoming exactly what her name suggested. Grace. Before she ever wore a crown, she reminds us that sometimes the bravest thing we ever do is walk away from a life we could have kept... because we believe another beautiful chapter is waiting to be written. ❤️ When most peo

There are people we admire. There are people we respect. And then there are the rare souls we somehow carry with us long before we fully understand why. For me, that person has always been Marilyn Monroe. Or perhaps I should say… Norma Jeane Baker. From the time I was in middle school until I graduated from high school, every June 1st I bought Marilyn a birthday cake. My family would indulge me and gather around and sing “Happy Birthday” to a woman who had been gone for years

When I first began reading about Empress Elisabeth of Austria—known affectionately as "Sisi"—I expected to meet one of history's great beauties. Instead, I met one of history's great free spirits. And perhaps that is what made her truly beautiful. Long before I learned about her famous waist, her ankle-length hair, or the portraits that captivated Europe, I learned one simple fact that made me smile. The young Emperor Franz Joseph traveled to meet Elisabeth's older sister, wh

How do ordinary human beings become extraordinary in the memories of others? Helen teaches us that myth can preserve a name. Cleopatra teaches us that history can preserve a legacy. Simonetta teaches us that love, admiration, and art can preserve a soul. Months before I ever learned Simonetta Vespucci's name, I stood quietly inside the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, gazing at Botticelli's Birth of Venus. Like millions of visitors before me, I admired one of the most famous paint

When I first began learning about Cleopatra, I expected to find the story of an extraordinary beauty. Instead, I found the story of an extraordinary woman. History has never quite known what to do with women like Cleopatra. Women who are intelligent. Women who are ambitious. Women who are charismatic. Women who command attention when they enter a room. Women who are impossible to ignore. For more than two thousand years, people have debated Cleopatra's beauty. Was she breatht

The Woman Who Became a Symbol Before I began writing this series, I unknowingly found myself following the footsteps of these stories. In March, I stood in Florence at the Uffizi Gallery, gazing at Botticelli's Birth of Venus. Like millions before me, I admired one of the most famous images of beauty ever created. Yet what fascinated me most was learning that Venus was not perfect. Her pose is unnatural. Her proportions are not mathematically precise. The painting is filled w

And Why Their Beauty Was Never the Most Interesting Thing About Them There have been billions of women throughout human history. Many were beautiful. Some were likely every bit as beautiful as the women whose names we know today. Yet somehow only a handful became legends. Why? The answer isn't symmetry. It isn't perfect skin. It isn't measurements. It isn't youth. It is story. Helen became the woman for whom kingdoms went to war. Cleopatra became the queen whose intellect res

Sometimes it is interesting to look back on life and notice how memories are often brought to light by dates, holidays, and significant moments. This weekend, I find myself thinking back to Memorial Day weekend four years ago. My life actually felt pretty wonderful then — but also quietly heartbreaking at the same time. I was single and happily doing so many things I enjoyed: going to plays, operas, ballets, movies, live music, orchestras, and the symphony. I was spending tim

There’s something I heard recently from Matthew Hussey that felt so simple… and yet so profoundly true: The person who doesn’t choose you isn’t your person. Not almost your person. Not potentially your person. Not if only things were different, your person. Just… not your person. And as obvious as that sounds, I think many of us have spent time—sometimes far too much time—sitting in the space between what is and what we wish could be. The Most Dangerous Kind of Connection Th

There’s a saying about glass houses… be careful what you throw, because you, too, are seen. Lately, I’ve found myself sitting with that thought more than usual. Scrolling through social media, I’ve felt both put off and, in a different way, captivated. Different stories… yet somehow connected by something deeper about how we, as people, choose to respond to one another. 🌿 When Someone’s Worst Moment Becomes Entertainment Recently, I saw old headlines and videos resurfacing a

There was a time when I felt a little lost. Not in a way that anyone else would have noticed… but quietly, inside. I would ask myself questions like: Am I a cancer survivor? Am I someone defined by a BRCA2 mutation—by the choices I made to protect my future? Am I a Type 1 diabetic… even though my path to it looks different than most? And the more I thought about it, the more I realized… I didn’t quite fit into any one category. And for a while, that made me feel like I didn’t

I didn’t watch the Super Bowl halftime show last night, but I woke up to such a wave of opinions — sharp, angry, and honestly exhausting opinions — that I finally sat down with a cup of tea and watched Bad Bunny’s performance . And do you know what happened? I smiled. I felt my shoulders loosen. And my feet wanted to dance. It made me wonder: What exactly are people so angry about? Because from where I sit — a conservative woman who has lived a lot of life, who has known deep

I went to my endocrinologist today, and for reasons I don’t fully understand, every visit with her seems to open a tender place inside me. Maybe it’s because she’s one of the few people who has witnessed the full arc of my medical journey. Maybe it’s because sitting in that exam room reminds me of the truth I rarely give myself permission to say: I have endured a tremendous amount of trauma. On the drive home, I listened to Chapter 8 of Dr. B’s new book, Plant Powered Plus, w

If you’re already thinking about refreshing your space — new colors, new textures, a little redesign — what if you also designed your home to protect your sleep, your nervous system, and your peace? It feels like we’re in a moment where people are craving calm again. Design trends are shifting away from stark, sterile spaces and moving toward warmth, softness, and nature. Greens are coming back. Earth tones. Organic textures. Rooms that feel lived in, loved, and gentle. And I

During this season, when so many stories are told and traditions are honored, I find myself thinking about Jesus simply as a good man who once walked the earth—someone who taught love, kindness, compassion, and care for one another. Regardless of belief, those lessons feel timeless and deeply human. The holidays have a way of inviting reflection. They remind us of people we have loved and lost, of memories that still shape us, and of the quiet lessons those lives left behind.