Mayim’s Vegan Cheesecake…Just in Time for Shavuot!
[Image source] Tonight (Tuesday) starts the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which commemorates the Jewish people getting the Torah – the Five Books of Moses that are the written law for Jews – at Mount...
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Getting Over Shame, Moving Toward Pride
[Photo: Guest writer Lia with her mother and baby brother around the time she had “come out”] I was only 4 years old when I came out to my mom, but I remember it vividly. It was weeknight bath time. My...
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Coming Out Again (and Again and Again)
[Image source] The other night, I was in a cab on the way to meet some friends at the corner of 10th and Piedmont in Atlanta. 10th and Piedmont is also known colloquially as “the corner of gay and...
View ArticleTalking “Wrapping” and Rapping, Tradition, Religion & the Patriarchy with...
[Photo: Mona Haydar (center) in her “Hijabi (Wrap My Hijab)” music video] Mona Haydar is a Syrian-American artist, activist and musician whose mission is to help the world grow more loving and...
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Embracing Vulnerability and Living My Truth, Out Loud and Proud
In her TEDTalk, Brene Brown shares that the meaning of life can be found in one’s willingness to be vulnerable, emotionally exposed, willing to take risks without knowing whether failure or success...
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Man Working in Trees: Becoming a Lumberjack, Finding Meaning
A toxic and heartbreaking relationship had ended, life-changing acting success was in my grasp. Me? I just felt lingering uncertainty about the course of my life. The dreaded “what’s it all about?”...
View ArticleVlog #27: Losing My Voice
Have you ever thought about the value of your voice? And what you would do if you lost it? From your written voice to your spoken voice, from singing to expressing your opinions to communicating with...
View ArticleChester Bennington’s Music and Lyrics Saved My Life
Chester Bennington of Linkin Park committed suicide. And I’m having a hard time. Because his lyrics…his voice: these are some of the reasons I’m still alive. Shit was really bad for me when Linkin...
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The Strengths and Challenges of “13 Reasons Why”: A Sex & Trauma Therapist...
The Netflix show “13 Reasons Why” is having an important impact on today’s conversations about suicide, rape, depression, cyberbullying, and teen angst. Widely watched by teens and adults alike, it has...
View ArticleRethinking the Rainbow Bridge
[Image source] The Rainbow Bridge refers to a place beloved companion pets go when they pass away. It is a comforting and warm image, that seems to provide a sense of peace for the families of so many...
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Showing Kindness to Strangers: The Risk-Reward Vibration
[Photo source] In the United States, we are taught from a young age not to talk to strangers. But everyone who knows me will tell you that I try to make a habit of smiling at pretty much everyone I...
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I’m a Vegan With a Fur Coat: How it Happened and What it Means
[Photo: poshmark.com] A little over five years ago I dedicated myself to a plant-based lifestyle. My Instagram shows photos of delicious vegan meals; I am one of those people who talks about being...
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Why Bat Mitzvahs (and Other Parties) Need A Dance Motivator
[Photo Credit: Lynn Abesera Photography (center), Debblin Studio (right center), Abbie Sophia Photography (bottom right)] You know Melissa as one of the behind-the-scenes women who make GrokNation...
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Heartbreak Doesn’t Mean You’re Broken: 7 Ways to Not Let a Breakup Break You
Heartbreak: we’ve all been there. For whatever reason, whoever is to blame, it didn’t work out. And you need time to recover. It might not happen quickly, but most people recover eventually. Until you...
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Man Working in Trees: Becoming a Lumberjack, Finding Meaning
A toxic and heartbreaking relationship had ended, life-changing acting success was in my grasp. Me? I just felt lingering uncertainty about the course of my life. The dreaded “what’s it all about?”...
View ArticleVlog #27: Losing My Voice
Have you ever thought about the value of your voice? And what you would do if you lost it? From your written voice to your spoken voice, from singing to expressing your opinions to communicating with...
View ArticleChester Bennington’s Music and Lyrics Saved My Life
Chester Bennington of Linkin Park committed suicide. And I’m having a hard time. Because his lyrics…his voice: these are some of the reasons I’m still alive. Shit was really bad for me when Linkin...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Strengths and Challenges of “13 Reasons Why”: A Sex & Trauma Therapist...
The Netflix show “13 Reasons Why” is having an important impact on today’s conversations about suicide, rape, depression, cyberbullying, and teen angst. Widely watched by teens and adults alike, it has...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Gimme Shelter: In Hiding from Hurricane Irma, Memories of War and Human Kindness
[Image of the shelter as it was filling up] In the space between sleep and waking, I occasionally confuse if I am in Jerusalem or Palm Beach. One morning, when an explosive boom shook me awake, “Shit,”...
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Wait…It’s Also the Muslim New Year?
This week as millions of Jews celebrate the start of the Jewish New Year and the High Holy Days (the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), what thousands (maybe even millions…) of Muslims...
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