Category: Relationships
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Digital Pacifier
Several months back, while on vacation with my family, we were at dinner and noticed these toddlers, who could not be older than two years old, sitting with their respective parents. Though their ages were exactly the same, their behavior was not. One toddler was quiet and focused on his…
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Listening…
Listening – hear, pay attention, be attentive, attend, concentrate on, hearken, tune in, keep one’s ear open. This is what I decided to do this summer. I went on a listening tour. I was determined to listen to the sounds of nature, music, voices, and opinions. I listened to words…
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The People we meet along the way…
During the summer months, I decided to join my husband on location, and when things abruptly wrapped up (did I mention there is a strike going on?), we decided to extend our time away and drive up the East Coast and across the Country. But that recap will be for…
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It’s here…
Finally! My second book, my sophomore book, my most personal account of a moment gone awry, is now available for the WORLD to read. To say I am nervous is an understatement, but I knew that it needed to be written so that at least ONE person, ONE mom, dad,…
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Breaking News!!!
I am back! Starting today! I return with the second season of “Conversations from the Green Couch Podcast!” Simply tap on the link and listen in on any and all platforms where you listen to your podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-from-the-green-couch-w-annette-ortiz-mata/id1566969656 I am excited about this season. I am doing something different, and…
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It’s all in the eyes…
“The eyes are the windows to your soul.” – William Shakespeare I don’t think that William Shakespeare had any idea how true this statement would become in 2020! For the past two years! Yes!!! Two years!!! The ENTIRE world has been asked to wear masks to slow down the transmission…
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What’s your life fragrance?
Fragrance is a sweet or delicate odor (as of fresh flowers, pine trees, or perfume) and aroma. So what’s your fragrance? What lingers when you leave the room? How will you be remembered in a world where our last thoughts are memorialized on Twitter, the perfect snapshot uploaded on Instagram,…
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Perceptions…
Several months ago, I was enjoying a beautiful dinner with some friends. We shared stories and lots of laughter. It was an evening filled with poignant moments, tears, and encouragement. As the evening was coming to a close, one of my friends made a strange comment, and it literally shifted…
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A day in the life…
What would they learn if someone walked in your shoes for 24 hours? I often ask myself this question. Will they enjoy the day? Will they see how productive I am? Will they learn how charitable I can be? Will they sense joy? Peace? Will they experience kindness and generosity?…
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A beautiful life…
He said, “we have a beautiful life….” I didn’t understand….until I did. All I knew was my heart was broken; how can that be called a beautiful life. I let the words settle until the realization of what he was saying became greater than my simple understanding. Our life is…
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Digital Fatigue…
Several days ago I was asked to join some girlfriends on Zoom to “just talk” and I took a hard pass. I thought I’d never say this, but I am officially experiencing digital fatigue. Everything that I must access is currently found on the Information Highway otherwise known as the…
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Seek Therapy
Six months of quarantine exposed a million little cracks that, if left unattended, would shatter…it would shatter our family. Awkwardly sitting together in our first virtual session… Family therapy. Looking at a screen trying to communicate why we are here. How did we get here? It was grueling! It required us…
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A Seat at my table…
During this physical distancing time, I have re-organized my closets, my dresser, the kitchen cabinets, my office desk, and the bookshelves. I have sorted in stacks of what I will keep, donate, and throw away. So it occurred to me, what in my relationships do I need to re-organize? How…
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Be teachable…
This week I had the privilege of sitting with some amazing women. They all shared their incredible journeys. They were poignant, heartfelt stories, others were uplifting and encouraging. One theme seems to run through all of the conversations…be teachable. Each one of them imparted some small nugget that left me…
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Women can be….well… read on…
So, here I was feeling really good about myself. Walking with a pep in my step and singing along with the radio in the car. I was HAPPY! It had been a summer of several health challenges, in which at this point, I was overcoming, and I had just completed…
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Kissed by God…
“We need all your birth certificates”, he said. “All your siblings, it’s the only way to disperse the inheritance”. I proceeded to collect all the birth certificates and something was off. Six birth certificates and there it was. One of these was not like the other, and that other was…
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Love…it sometimes hurts.
You are broken, and I can’t fix you You are broken, and I will not hide it You are broken, and I must release you You are broken, and I will always love you You are broken and I accept it You are broken, and I will wait You are broken,…
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Do I call?
The call came in. My father had a heart attack and is intensive care. I sit still and wait. I sit still and process what is before me. Do I love or do I walk away Do I choose to remember how he protected me or do I remember how…
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“Silent Witness”
The year was 1966. On April 3, a baby girl was born on the Lower East Side, the firstborn for Maria. One month later on May 29 of the same year, another baby girl was born in the Bronx, the youngest child of Lydia. These two baby girls had no…
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CANCER – It’s more than the C word…
The first time I heard the word cancer I was a young child. I didn’t quite understand it, but I knew that it was a deadly disease and it brought a lot of pain to our family. It wouldn’t be the last time I would hear it… As life…