Premature naming is also painful. Our little girl Willow, still in utero, was discovered to be a boy at the 20-week ultrasound. It is traumatic: she had already taken form and substance, and we had to grieve that she was gone. Our little girl was never to be, and a new name has to be…

I learned yesterday that knowing what you want is more than just wanting what you know to be true. If you want something, truly want it, it doesn’t matter what stories you tell yourself about that want. Say you want something that you’re convinced isn’t ok–like a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. Say…