Coffee Time Reflections with Silvia Escobar

I was reading a book recently that highlighted the difference between these two words:“Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.” — Peter DruckerHave you ever spent an entire day checking things off your list, yet still felt like you neglected something important? I know there are responsibilities we simply have to… Continue reading The Dishes Could Wait

When we moved from the city to the suburbs, one of the things I did not anticipate was the discrimination and microaggressions my kids would experience growing up in a mostly white community. In fact, in the year 2000, I didn’t even know what the word microaggression meant! The Merriam Webster gives this definition: a… Continue reading Preparing our kids to handle disrespect and microaggressions

This summer, Arturo and I visited the Chicago Botanic Gardens. My favorite spot is the Bonsai exhibit. I am always in awe of the age of these little trees, ranging from 35 to over 100 years old! You may not know this, but Arturo studied agricultural engineering. He commented, as we went from bonsai to… Continue reading Overcoming guilt and regret

I heard this phrase the other day and it stuck with me. “Don’t ask if it’s hard, ask if it’s worth it.” I love that! What a great way to focus on the bigger picture and get a better idea of what we should push through and what we should quit. Here are three things… Continue reading Don’t ask if it’s hard, ask if it’s worth it

I’ve been reading The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom. I highly recommend it. The author talks about: Time Wealth Social Wealth Mental Wealth Physical Wealth Financial Wealth They are all fascinating, but I want to expound on social wealth. In his book, Bloom refers to “Your front row people.” These relationships are the… Continue reading The Wealth That Makes Everything Else Meaningful

It feels like a life long journey to get to the point when you don’t feel like you have to impress anyone. I think we would all like to think we don’t care about what others think. And I certainly care less now than I used to. Still, there are glimpses that if you touch… Continue reading You don’t have to impress anyone

I read a phrase a long time ago that I never forgot. “Your kids are only in your way when you rather be somewhere else.” While raising and homeschooling six kids, that was a phrase that I kept front and center in my mind. It helped me stay present. As a result, I loved spending… Continue reading Maybe you just need a break.

Well, here we are — the stage Arturo and I have been walking through for the last decade. If I had to describe these years in one phrase, it would be growing closer together through change. We are now empty nesters, yet our lives feel full. We continue working in real estate, and honestly, we’re… Continue reading The 4 Stages of a 40 Year Marriage (years 31 to 40)

I once heard someone say that our discontent lives in the space between expectation and reality. Absolutely! Whether it’s marriage, parenting, friendships, work or anything else we expected to go better than it did—disappointment shows up when we face that gap. So what do we do with it? Here are some thoughts. Evaluate your expectations.Not… Continue reading When Reality Doesn’t Match What You Hoped For

On our 20th anniversary, I realized something that felt monumental to me — I had officially been married longer than I had been single. We married when I was 19. Two weeks after our 20th anniversary, I turned 40… and was surprised with not one, but two birthday parties that year. The third decade of… Continue reading The 4 Stages of 40 Years of Marriage (21-30)