The Hard Way

By: Gabriela Yareliz Some people look down on the ones who take the hard road. We live in a time where you can find easy if you want it. These days, things are so convenient that we as a human race lack intimacy with each other (even in the nonsexual sense) because “real intimacy requiresContinue reading “The Hard Way”

Ricky

By: Gabriela Yareliz I typically avoid tourists. Most New Yorkers do. We don’t have time for slow walkers or people who take up the entire walkway with their tour group. Today, I was walking through an area that attracts a high volume of tourists. Central Park. As I was walking, some food cart was blastingContinue reading “Ricky”

Different

“If you want something different, you are going to have to do something different.”Jack Canfield By: Gabriela Yareliz This may be one of the hardest lessons life offers us. Hard because ‘different’ requires courage. It requires risk. It often requires uncertainty and the unknown. It requires sitting down and doing the hard work of tryingContinue reading “Different”

In the Dark

“Ironically, though light can be scarce at night, the darkness can often bring clarity.” Richard Christensen By: Gabriela Yareliz We often talk about the clarity light brings us. We rarely talk about the clarity found in darkness. The truth is, some of the darkest moments in life clarify things for us. We see things notContinue reading “In the Dark”

Ideas for NYC: Open Letter #2

By: Gabriela Yareliz Dear Eric Adams (Mayor): Public things require courteous and considerate users. Absent that, they are destroyed. Public libraries (which we should talk about because funding is being cut, and they barely function pre-cut), public pools, public parks— but let’s talk about public transport. Public transport is the pool everyone is peeing in.Continue reading “Ideas for NYC: Open Letter #2”

None of the Magazines I Loved Still Exist

By: Gabriela Yareliz Us 90s girls— we all wanted to be a rom-com journalist when we were kids. I would be lying if I said otherwise. We lived in the golden era of magazines. Magazines shaped me deeply. I spent hours, HOURS, cutting collages and making wall posters and binder covers. I just thought weContinue reading “None of the Magazines I Loved Still Exist”

Wisteria

By: Gabriela Yareliz My husband has a green thumb. He is currently planting seeds into trays. I just pop up by the table to sniff the soil (I like the smell of soil), and then, disappear. He plants. I read about plants. I recently read about Wisteria. Apparently, the meaner you are to Wisteria, theContinue reading “Wisteria”

Planting Your Garden

“So plant your own gardens and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.” Jorge Luis Borges By: Gabriela Yareliz I heard recently that when people dislike you, it serves as a reminder that if everyone liked you, you would be more reliant on the opinions of others. It’s a humanContinue reading “Planting Your Garden”

The Feminine

“In the ’70s, my mother gave me a print that read: A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle. After 25 years of marriage, I couldn’t disagree more.” Larissa Phillips By: Gabriela Yareliz I read Larissa Phillips’ The Free Press piece with intrigue, as I am sure many of us did. IfContinue reading “The Feminine”

The Beauty of Enough

“Never let the quest for more distract you from the beauty of enough.” Sahil Bloom By: Gabriela Yareliz Spring invites us into simplicity. I am only 1/4 into my spring cleaning. The season’s freshness invites us to cleanse out, to simplify, to go back to the basics. A mini candle, a white t-shirt, a freshContinue reading “The Beauty of Enough”