Empowerment and self-improvement

Posts

Finding-Personal-Comfort-&-Joy-During-the-Holidays-MainPhoto

Finding Personal Comfort & Joy During the Holidays

,
Comfort & joy during the holidays are something we all look forward to, right? Ever since I was a child, the holidays would arrive as a mix of joy and sadness. Though my parents lived separate lives, they shared the strict rule that…
Self-Care-Why-It-Matters-and-How-I-Learned-My-Lesson-MainPhoto

Self-Care: Why It Matters and How I Learned My Lesson

,
Quick. Think of the last time you did something to truly nurture yourself. Struggling to come up with the date? You are not alone. Most of us suffer from chronic self-neglect. In our busy lives, it always feels like something's gotta give…
Celebrate-Love-Your-Body-Day-MainPhoto

Celebrate Love Your Body Day

,
You've probably done it. Looked through a magazine and wished for a celebrity's clear skin or a model's long legs. You close the latest issue, not inspired by what you learned but defeated by what you are not. And, yet, here's the thing. None…

No Shame in Feeding Your Children Using Food Stamps

I was at the supermarket checkout line when the cashier asked me if I wanted to make a donation for the needy. I would have liked to, but instead, I flashed my food stamps card and shook my head, saying: "I can't. This time, I'm the needy." The…
Mami-of-Two-Children-with-Down-Syndrome-Raises-Awareness-MainPhoto

Mami of Two Children with Down Syndrome Raises Awareness

,
Eliana Tardío is the amazing mami of two very special children, Emir, 7 and Ayelén, 4. Both children were diagnosed with Down syndrome* at birth. Eliana, however, has managed to turn what could seem like a devastating circumstance into an…
Mentoring-Seeds-Sprout-MainPhoto

Mentoring Seeds Sprout

,
By the time you read this, I will be back from Kansas City, where I will have given the keynote address at MANA de Kansas City's 30th anniversary celebration. MANA is a national organization for Latinas, based in Washington, D.C., but with…
Lower-Housing-Values-May-Impact-College-Enrollment-MainPhoto

Lower Housing Values May Impact College Enrollment

,
A recent study shows that families whose home values are on the rise are more likely to send their children off to college. The reason? They may enjoy a higher income, they could be using a home equity loan to pay for their kids´ tuition,…
Success,-at-What-Cost--The-Cowboy's-Guide-to-Raising-Boys-for-Single-Moms-MainPhoto

Success, at What Cost? The Cowboy's Guide to Raising Boys for Single Moms

,
Of the many challenges that I face as a single mother, none is so daunting as finding a balance among all of those things that are important to me. Often, I fall short of reaching my goal to maintain a mindful equilibrium, especially when…
Latina-Optimism-Can-Save-America-MainPhoto

Latina Optimism Can Save America

,
My family and I were recently driving past a row of stately homes on the Connecticut shore. Now and then, my husband and I would comment on the architectural details we liked, like eaves, fish scale shingles, and fairy-tale turrets. In the…