Gemma Hartley

The insecurities about my age pushed me over the edge, making me work myself to the bone trying to be what I thought society would deem as a “good mom.” So I wish people understood that it’s never OK to comment on a mother’s age — young or old. Because the judgmental connotation is always there, no matter how innocent the intent.

I want and need to save some room for myself, to know that I am worthy of a place in the world without the label of mother.

But how do I go about actually practicing mindfulness with my kids when I still can’t seem to get them to find their shoes in 30 minutes or less? To be honest, it’s not always easy. However, there are a few key things that I have found really helpful in getting my kids started on the path to a more mindful life.

It wasn’t the name I would have picked — not originally, at least — but as days turned into weeks, it grew on me.

If you were to walk into my house on any given day, you wouldn’t know that I am an efficient and organized person.

I spent most of my life assuming I was an introvert, but not a very good one. Then finding out I'm an ambivert totally changed my life!

I wish I had realized there was no such thing as being too young to have mental health issues. That there was nothing shameful about postpartum struggles.

At Santa Rosa Christian School, dancing was a gateway drug. The gyrating, the slow romantic swaying...

I hate some of the things I see my friends and family post on Facebook.

When I was a teenager, I felt very certain that I was not a feminist. I didn’t exactly understand the textbook definition of feminism, but I had a pretty good sense from the negative connotation I had gleaned while growing up in a narrowly Christian setting.