The Hit List - I will not cry

Are you going to cry when I leave?

Why aren’t you crying?

If that was me, I’d be crying.

Will you cry later?

My baby girl is gone far, far away. This is the furthest she’s been from home. Madrid. Gorgeous, glorious Spain.

This is an act of bravery for my little introvert nerd. Strange land. No connections. Doesn’t even speak the language.

But I won’t cry.

Because this is an adventure.

Her soul will grow.

She’ll get a better sense of the world and her place in it.

She’ll see things I have never seen.

She has every advantage in the world to make this painless and doable.

She’s a grown woman.

I will not cry.

I will not mourn my empty nest.

I’ll celebrate her independence. I’ll excitedly await hearing from her (thank god for technology). I’ll send her random little notes of love and pride (and unexpected presents). I’ll cook her favorite meals when she returns for the holidays. We may even have some private mother daughter lunches at her favorite boulangerie. I’ll cheer her on, loudly and silently. I’ll wonder if she’ll meet a handsome man, dance the Flamenco, drink Sangria with new friends, see other countries, and whether she’ll think of me or forget me in all the glamour and heady excitement of a strange new place.

No, I won’t cry.

Instead, I will love witnessing every minute of her glorious journey from afar.

Photos in which I get to live vicariously. Beautiful Spanish architecture.

Other stuff:

Check out these cool ancient mosaics discovered in Turkey.

More about the upcoming Tim Burton “Big Eye” flick and the story behind it.

Is this the most awesome pope ever? Patti Smith to perform at the Vatican Christmas Concert? OMG YES!

By now you’ve either seen the nude Kim Kardashian pics or heard everyone griping about it. I peeked. Girl looks good. And this woman writes an awesome reply to all the people who are freaking out about Ms. Kardashian West’s (do I need to add the West part?) “assets”.

I’m a huge fan of Paula’s Choice skin care products. Get ’em and get a special $10 off coupon: http://goo.gl/QgctkW (PS I get points too when you click on that link.)

A Japanese hack to get your notebook organized. I want to try this!

Bryan Adams (yes, the singer) is a pretty amazing photographer. Take a gander at this collection of photos of injured vets.

Digging these pics by Louis Chan – inside the homes of Chinese American families.

Those dubious for-profit colleges are a bad, bad thing for the poor.

What does it mean to be a Boss Lady? Check out this blog tour at The Bead Effect and find out what these savvy boss ladies have to say about it!

Want to learn how to create an amazing retreat? You might want to check out this free webinar: Retreats By Design.

Amethyst Mahoney of Spiritual Badass has a new Connect 5 Day Challenge. You ready to connect to your heart, your soul, your business? Get on it! (PS there are prizes!)

I loved being a contributor to Little Fox Tarot’s Wheel of Fortune Tarot Mixtape. Check out my selection!

Little Fox Tarot also gave me this uh-may-zing shout out after my retreat! So happy to know I made a difference.

And here’s another lovely review of the Soulful Proprietor Retreat from Amelia Quint of The Midheaven.

Pregnant, and No Civil Rights. It’s happening and it might get worse.

What the results of the last election mean for women in the States. Verdict: not good.

On my list of must see films in the future: The Penalty.

My dear friends Joanna Powell Colbert and James Wells have created this fantastic EarthDreaming Retreat for men and women. Get your spot before they are all gone!

Be sure to check out this new conference, Sacred Live. Spiritual thought leader Annika Martins has put together the most incredible event for spiritual seekers!

I love me some Jessica Kupferman and Lady Business Radio. This episode, Charity Fails, is one of my favorites so far!

The doors to Bari Tessler’s Art of Money are open! This is a life changing program for those who are serious about getting their relationship with their money RIGHT. It seriously changed my finances for the better! (PS I rarely do affiliate links any more but I’m a big fan of Bari’s work and I have taken the course, so yes, that is an affiliate link.)

On my list of books to read: Pro: Reclaiming Abortion Rights.

I’ve always had a thing for Richard Hell. Now I can read all about his exploits and sexploits and keep that fantasy burning: I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp: An Autobiography

What I’m Grateful For:

Technology

A good mug of tea on a cold day

Discovering a new pho restaurant five minutes from my home

Scented candles

Having a washer and dryer in my home

Sunshine

Knowing the people I love the most are safe

Soundtrack for 11/15/14: “The Letter” by The Box Tops – sending this out to my baby girl today. (She loves retro stuff.)