Practically speaking blog by Jill Donovan

Getting Off The Roller Coaster Of Someone Else’s Emotions

If the saying, “You are only as happy as your least happy child” holds true, then the moment you welcome children or grandchildren into your life, you can say goodbye to peace and happiness as you ...

Stop Calling It Your Baby

Most people assume I have two children.After all, each year, our Christmas photo shows only two girls.However, for the last 11 years, I thought I had three.And no, I’m not talking about my four-leg...

Lighten Your Suitcase. Lighten Your Life.

61.5 pounds.This was the exact weight of my suitcase when I checked in at the airport last night.50 pounds is the airline limit.Which means you either have to pay 100 dollars or take out 11.5 pou...

God Doesn’t Steer Parked Cars

Many of us believe that we require inspiration before embarking on a new endeavor. However, what happens if that elusive emotional inspiration never strikes? What if you’re not caught up in a cap...

Recalibrating Your Expectations

Have you ever experienced the beginning of a new friendship or relationship, where everything just seems to fall into place? There’s a natural harmony that makes you feel like nothing could go wron...

Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover

Have you ever met someone new and within seconds of introduction, asked them the question, “What do you do for a living?” It’s a common query that is often seen as a way to gauge a person’s i...

This ONE Thing

It is said that we are either currently facing a challenge, just recovering from one, or about to enter into a new struggle. I have never appreciated this thought. It’s rather disheartening in so...

Who Is Your Assignment?

We are typically, by nature, creatures of habit. We drive the same roads to work each day. We walk, bike, or run down the same streets or paths. We grocery shop at the same grocery store and often ...

Real Is Rare

There is something truly refreshing and rare about being real.   The overwhelming inauthenticity of social media tends to perpetuate the lie that we cannot show anything less than perfection. It do...

Put The Time In On The Driveway

I was at a high school basketball game two years ago, and we were up against a really tough team. My friend, Jolie, was sitting next to me, and said, “I always tell my kids that they MUST put the t...