All tagged patrice cameau

I prefer my birthdays alone

I knew exactly where I wanted to be on my 41st birthday—on a beach.

When it didn’t work out for anyone to join me, I decided to go alone. Not a big deal for someone like me who loves solo travel, but it definitely raised a few eyebrows when I told people.

“Why would anyone want to spend their birthday alone?” they’d ask.

The Urge to Insert Ourselves Into Tragedy—And Why I’m Teaching My Kids to Do Better

In the wake of tragedies, there’s always a rush to say something.

To make it personal.

To find a way to insert ourselves into the moment, even if—truthfully—it has nothing to do with us.

Take the recent crash of American Airlines flight 5342. A tragedy that claimed the lives of 60+ people. And yet, scrolling social media, I’ve seen post after post from people talking about how they just left DCA, were about to fly there, had once been on that route, and how grateful they are that they weren’t on that flight.