on January 15, 2019

The Best Way To Connect With Others

In addition to writing, I spent a career as an experience designer—skills that I use today but primarily when I design my life. My expertise was in interactive and participatory design. I did a ton of work on this while at Disney, but it was one night on vacation in New York City, with my husband and our two youngest children, that I realized the best design ever created… The Smallest Table The restaurant was crowded, as most were during Spring Break near Broadway and Times Square. There was a small square table in the center of a very crowded restaurant with a small chair on each side. Our knees easily touched and the length of the table was about…Read More

family, connecting with others, home life, family time

on October 2, 2016

Discovering the Power of Gentleness is a Gift.

I was blessed to have dinner with both my parents this week for my father’s birthday. As we enjoyed food and wine and each other’s company, I was compelled to reach over and hold my dad’s hand in both of mine. We smiled at each other, said a few things, and had a moment. But what I felt was a flood of gratitude that we reached this moment in our relationship where we could express love and appreciation rather than what might have become the frustration and contempt I see in many relationships that are long in history. He was not always an easy dad. And I was far from an easy daughter. We challenged each other a lot—starting when I was…Read More

openness, relationships, power, sharing dreams, strength, communication, tenderness, connecting, connecting with others, everyday life, gentle, gentleness, gentler side, harsh realities