This week I will marry my husband, again. As we do every five years. As I hope to do for a long, long time. We do this as a way to check in with each other about the big stuff. We, like most parents, are in a constant state of checking in about the small things: “Who needs a pick...
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This Father’s Day, thanks to a Budweiser commercial honoring stepfathers that made me blotchy-red-face-snotty-nose cry when I saw it (and is still making me cry as I write this), I am thinking about stepfathers. The commercial features grown children acknowledging what amazing step fathers they have and asking their stepdads to be officially adopt them. One woman asks her stepdad...
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In a recent assignment for my Instructional Design course, I had to create a short video showing a well-known proverb (without telling you what it is). Can you guess what proverb this video represents?
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In a few weeks, my husband and I will get married...again. This will be our third time because we decided lifelong commitments are only for suckers and the devil. We promised to reevaluate, renegotiate, and remarry every 5 years for as long as we both shall love. For us, this time meant unpacking a lot of baggage we have collected...
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If there is one thing the US is more obsessed with than guns, it is telling women what to do. Baby politics, dress codes, mothering expectations, hair policies, communication critiques, mandatory smiles, fashion dos and don’ts, and even fucking bangs. People can not help obsessing about telling women how they are doing it all wrong. I mean, it is so...
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I just spent the weekend at a retreat for my kid’s school at a magical little nature lodge on a volcano by a river and it was my favorite kind of time. Everyone just hanging out, cabin rotations, no privacy, shared meals, and everywhere I went there was someone I knew, and was about to get to know better. It...
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My family is not super into sports. I tried, believe me. I am from Boston and sports fanaticism is a pretty much a general requirement of Bostonian identity - but no. Sports do not to speak to me, and the aggressive and/or rape culture associated with some sports has always made me recoil. The school sport scene has had a...
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I am a mom. You’re probably thinking: “Yeah, we get it Karen. We’ve seen your posts. You’re a mom.” But I am like, the mommiest mom you can think of. I know this because small children I don’t know walk up to me and hand me their gum, or their foot so I can tie their shoe. I know this...
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My dad died when I was 30 and my mom died 6 years later. I was 36 when I became an orphan. So, like, yeah, I was married with two kids in a house on a cul-de-sac and I was pretty sure I was pulling off the “I am a real life grown-up” vibe. It wasn’t like my parents were...
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“Qualifications should be the only thing that matter.” “Why do we have to divide on the basis of race?” “Isn’t it silly to keep talking about gender?” “Why all the labels?” Oh man, do I just love these questions. They always seem to float to the surface when someone who has been marginalized on the basis of gender or race...
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Karen is an outspoken comedian, writer, artist, teacher, speaker, podcaster, Mom of seven children, and an adventurous thinker. She is a strong advocate of mindful thinking, asking for what you want, and living an empowered life. Karen speaks with expertise and humor on gender issues, parenting, homeschooling, autism, co-housing, sex and sexuality, positive self imagery, and being ridiculously happy and super-cool.
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