Posts Tagged With ‘ April Ibarra ’

A Love Letter to Pablo Once upon a time, in the autumn of life, I found myself standing at the crossroads of love. Divorced twice, I carried the weight of past heartaches and the wisdom of years gone by. But at 50, something shifted within me. I was ready to embrace love once more, not as a desperate seeker, but as a hopeful wanderer. In the digital realm of match.com, I stumbled upon Pablo. His profile didn’t set my heart racing, but I decided to give it a chance. After all, I was no longer interested in wasting... Continue Reading

As the years pass, our perception of life evolves. The mundane routines of youth give way to deeper contemplation. We find ourselves pondering what truly ignites our spirit, what keeps our hearts beating with purpose. Let’s dive into the essence of feeling alive as we age, celebrating the moments that defy time and enrich our souls.  1. Rediscovering Passion   Remember the hobbies, dreams, and interests that once set your heart ablaze? As we age, we have the chance to revisit them.... Continue Reading

It was 1983 and I was smoking a cigarette and pounding beers with my friends while I perused the want ads looking for my future. At nineteen my life was a blank slate and anything was possible. My future was unclear but I knew I didn’t want to be a career waitress like Donna, my Mother. There were several other jobs I knew I didn’t want which included maid, custodian, factory worker, bank teller, and meter maid. John, my stepfather, suggested the meter maid option. He encouraged me to take a civil service test and apply for a solid and secure job. I didn’t... Continue Reading

My husband had been planning his retirement for about a year. After thirty-three years of successfully climbing the corporate ladder he was carefully planning his exit. His last assignment moved us to Cape Girardeau, MO and it nearly killed both of us. Me from the sheer desperation of small time life and him because the work pressure and corporate dynamics wore him to the ground. We escaped back to Cincinnati last year and I was thrilled when he announced he would retire June 30, 2023. I planned to keep working with the end goal of joining him soon. I fantasized about... Continue Reading

Psycho pal for life! One of the greatest things about being a woman is friendships. Not just acquaintances but deep, intense and personal relationships with women who often know you better than yourself. Those women who hold you up, put you in your place, and make you belly laugh so hard that your sides hurt and you pee yourself. Those are my people. Those are my pals.  I just finished watching Firefly Lane (Netflix) and it’s a must... Continue Reading

I was never the type of woman who longed for children, and I never understood the incredible lengths some women go to just to have their own child. It’s admirable but it was never my path. To be honest, I never really thought about children because I was way too busy surviving. Working, scraping, and trying to get ahead. I knew I wanted more in life than what my young realities offered, and I was willing to hustle to push forward. At seventeen I ended up pregnant and alone and that same month I found out my biological father wasn’t the man on my birth certificate.... Continue Reading

Not the gift I expected for my fifty-ninth Today I celebrate my life. Fifty nine years ago my mother Donna arrived at Mercy hospital in a taxi. No husband or insurance. No prenatal care and apparently no plan. Maybe I started living in survival mode the day I was born. I had a mother with no plan and a father who was nowhere in the picture. Reflecting back it’s no surprise I became a fighter.  Each year on this date I take time to reflect on where I’ve been and pause to consider where I am headed. I manifest,... Continue Reading

I’ve always been fiercely independent and I don’t intend to change. Not now and certainly not as I grow older. I like being in charge of my life, don’t you? When I was young my circumstances forced me to fend for myself and I am thankful for that. It made me strong and capable. These are two characteristics that I have found very useful in life. I have however learned to appreciate the kindness of others who want to be there when I need a... Continue Reading

I was way behind on the Yellowstone obsession but I made up for that over the holiday season. Thank you everyone for insisting that I get on board and binge immediately. It took me a few episodes to get hooked, but I realized this is not a show you passively watch while scrolling online. You have to spend time with the characters in the beauty of Montana, a place I need to see before I die. Now I see what all the fuss is about. I was completely swept away by the series, and it wasn’t just the... Continue Reading

A Boomer’s Point of View Little Whiners I was listening to Megyn Kelly today. She hosts a talk show and podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show , that airs live daily on SiriusXM. (She is one of my daily sources for what’s going on in the world.) She wasn’t shy about her irritation with a group of NYU students who apparently complained that their organic chemistry professor was too hard. The students that signed the petition against him complained that their grades did not reflect... Continue Reading