When he told me I was a hot mess, I looked inward and decided to change — It was a typical Monday morning when I was part of an example of boundary setting. I was on the other side of the line in the sand. Colleagues and I were discussing our weekends when a friend approached. Because I had only been working there for a few months…

Providing time off for periods would enable people to track the cycles of their colleagues — Headlines ripped across news feeds to announce Spain is considering legislation offering so-called “menstrual leave” to workers. To qualify for the time off, employees must be diagnosed by a doctor with severe period pain. The minister of equality in Spain hailed the legislation as a win for women’s health.

Reflections on a year that brought some high and low moments. — Sharing a list of things I’m grateful for is my annual tradition. Read previous year’s lists here: (2021) (2020). One quick note: this is my own personal list which reflects my unique privilege. I acknowledge the circumstances that created my privilege don’t extend beyond my own individual experience. …

We set reasonable expectations around holidays, spending, and the accumulation of stuff — He shoved the gift bag into my hands. The bag was small and blue, with white handles. A festive cartoon penguin wearing ice skates and a hat smiled back at me from the sides of the bag. The tag read, “To: You, From: Me” in my boyfriend’s cramped handwriting. When…

It’s one thing to enjoy a sport, but what if your team (or the league it’s in) enables immoral or abusive acts? — There comes a time in the life of any sports fan when they question whether they can keep supporting the team to which they’ve pledged their devotion, sometimes for decades. …

Must we respond to all comments under the guise of building a community? — The comments came in fast and — mostly — furious, making me cringe. The crawl-into-a-hole desire bloomed heavy in my chest. …

If you want to tell me how dumb this idea is, first you have to prove you read the article. — How many times has this happened to you? Someone responds to an article you’ve shared on Medium, and from their remarks you realize 1) they didn’t actually read what you wrote and 2) they know nothing about the subject. Yet there they are, writing a multi-paragraph comment or a pithy…

When nobody gives you a treatment schedule or guidelines, you have to be the squeaky wheel until your questions are answered — “Let me transfer you,” the woman said brusquely; a click sounded before I had the chance to respond. Five minutes after calling my doctor’s office, I had been transferred to three different people and none of them answered my question to my satisfaction. …

A supposed membership program has good intentions and sloppy execution — My husband received a phone call recently and handed his cell over to me. A representative had called his number asking for me, and my husband believed there was some likelihood that it was a legitimate offer so he said I should hear them out. This person claimed to…