Eliana Osborn

Self-care is important. Massages are a good form of self-care. Too bad I keep thinking about what I'm going to make for dinner.

In Anchorage, Alaska, there are 5 hours, 27 minutes of daylight on December 21. The good news: The numbers only go up for the next six months. The bad news: December 22 has merely seconds more light.

I’m a sucker for an interesting woman, so Notorious RBG is obviously my sort of book.

I’m full of emotions: pride, awe, fear, nerves. The spelling bee first, then the piano recital. Two different kids, same mom. Same me, wanting to prevent my boys from pain and discomfort. Same me, biting my tongue and smiling broadly in support.

1. Borrow a child.

Size, like age and salary and whatever else, is just a number. Pretending numbers don’t measure things isn’t helpful. I’m 38 years old: That isn’t good or bad, but it IS different from being 18 or 50.

If you kill a tortoise, even on accident, you probably shouldn’t have children.

1. Write a damn letter.

Really, you should thank me. I’m just protecting your future self.

I always have a small piece of my brain on mom mode, no matter what else is happening. I have no problem with this, since that is how humanity has survived.