What Your Body Is Trying to Tell You Right Now

I was scrolling through my calendar last week, and I felt my chest tighten. Three work meetings. Two kid activities. A holiday party I'd said yes to…

Dec 2

November 2025

Why Being Excited Sometimes Feels Dangerous

I got emotional when I realized this: For trauma survivors, happiness can feel dangerous. Because there were so many times when it was. But that's not…

Nov 25 • 

Mary Jackson ✨

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The Thanksgiving You're Allowed to Have

It's the week of Thanksgiving, and you're probably already exhausted. Not from cooking or planning—from the weight of expectation. Here's what I wish…

Nov 18 • 

Mary Jackson ✨

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The One Thing I'm Unmovable About (Even When It Makes People Uncomfortable)

"I'm unmovable about something, and it makes some people uncomfortable. But I learned in grad school that without it, I'd burn out and hate everything…

Nov 12 • 

Mary Jackson ✨

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The Best Part of Halloween? Watching People Be Whoever They Want

Here’s what hit me while watching trick-or-treaters parade past: Halloween is just the beginning...

Nov 4 • 

Mary Jackson ✨

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October 2025

Why I Put Words of Affirmation Last on My List (And What That Cost Me)

I told everyone that words didn't matter to me. I'd been called every name in the book, told I shouldn't exist...

Oct 28 • 

Mary Jackson ✨

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"Can We Sleep On It?" (And Other Ways I Punish Myself)

My husband traded in my car yesterday without me seeing it. My immediate response revealed something I'd been doing for...

Oct 21 • 

Mary Jackson ✨

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The Small Thing That Tells Me I Don't Matter

My husband's job is dinner. Mine is laundry. That's how we run our household. And when he doesn't handle dinner...

Oct 14 • 

Mary Jackson ✨

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The Two Words That Teach Girls to Disappear

My son hit my daughter. She immediately said the two words that stopped me cold. Words I'd probably said a thousand...

Oct 7 • 

Mary Jackson ✨

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September 2025

The Family Rule That Changed Everything About How We Love

My son was giving me one-word answers at dinner, clearly upset about something. That's when I said the word that...

Sep 30 • 

Mary Jackson ✨

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The Habit That Was Slowly Stealing My Life

It started innocently enough – just checking my phone while my coffee brewed each morning. But by last...

Sep 24 • 

Mary Jackson ✨

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What Happened When I Stopped Trying to Be Perfect at Everything

My daughter found me reorganizing the pantry for the third time that week and asked the question that...

Sep 16 • 

Mary Jackson ✨

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