Funk never gets jealous. Ever. Not very Italian of him. But him being a mutt and all, I guess that makes sense. In the family I grew up in, jealously was a sign of love. Which is why I’ve been trying for forty years to provoke that response from my husband. Nothing works. One time, as my family sat around our dining room table enjoying our evening meal together, I got up to bring something else to the table. In passing, I bent down and whispered in my husband’s ear, “Funk. Some strange man had his hands all over my […]

“Shut up and eat your f*cking ice cream.” I have a lot of favorite lines, but that’s one of my all-time favorites. It was uttered by 5-year old Madeleine, a special girl I once knew. Most days, I keep to a very tight schedule. I wake up in the morning and give myself an hour with coffee while responding to email. After that, I turn off my phone so that I can get into the zone and write. Once I’m no longer making progress, I head out for my 4-mile walk, which is when I return phone calls. So it […]

It takes a lot for me to get on a plane. I stopped flying for twenty years, so it’s almost a miracle that I can even get on one now. Still, whenever there’s a trip coming up, it takes weeks of mental preparation. Sometimes tears. Sometimes fights with Funk, and all because I’m nervous. But I’m getting better. Funk and I flew to Hawaii last February, and everything that sets off my claustrophobia happened on the eight-hour segment of our flight. The plane was small. The attendants had an attitude. There was no wifi. And no outlets to plug my […]

My brother Robert died a year ago. I can’t tell you how much it sucked getting that unexpected news on a train. I rarely shed tears, yet I couldn’t keep from sobbing into my jacket. In public. On the train. Like my sister Jane, Robert also shouldn’t have died. They weren’t in the best health. Still, they went in for a “simple” procedure and yet both perished from a hospital acquired staph infection. I’m really pissed about that. And getting madder by the day. The family I grew up in was really messed up, so my relationships with all of […]

“Gloria, keep up your drumbeat. It produces a positive effect, I’m sure.” That’s a response I received to a recent newsletter. Since I actually live inside of me—I can tell you one thing—those words don’t seem attributable to me. The person I was for most of my life was shy around strangers. Anxious about too many things. Didn’t speak her mind. And definitely didn’t feel like she could “produce” anything, much less a drumbeat that led anywhere. Most people have always viewed me the opposite though. Outspoken. Fearless. LOUD. If I am, it’s only because I’ve forced myself to become […]

I don’t like the “business” of writing. When I released the first book in my C’mon Funk series I didn’t realize I was starting another business. Still, I know from experience, if you want to succeed at any goal, you have to throw yourself completely in. With my current endeavor, I’ve researched how novice authors become bestsellers. And what I’ve learned is that it takes more than just writing a good book. Meaning, you have to get the book into the hands of lots of people. Because authors who don’t succeed, release their books and let them sit. But those […]

I have some great news! My book, May Cause Drowsiness and Blurred Vision: The Side Effects of Bravery, is 50% off on Amazon for the next few days. I can’t tell you what it means to see how the book is resonating with others. In sharing my story of courage and journey of becoming my New and Better Self, I hope to inspire you to also step out in faith, to make a difference where it counts, and to stand up for others … and yourself. Here’s just some of the feedback I’ve received … “Gloria Squitiro’s feisty spirit challenges […]

Women are so sensual, so powerful and so underrated. Sweet Sixty! That’s what Funk calls me now, and he’s right. I went from giving a sh*t, to maybe only giving half a sh*t. From not realizing my youth was about me—to kicking and screaming into my fifties—to loving what’s taken its place. Standing in my power. And you can too. It’s time for our generation to finish the revolution that was started in the 1960’s. Many of us come from families where our basic needs were met, but not the emotional ones. Those weren’t important to the time. And while […]

She slipped her hand in mine On my left I looked down To innocence That face Sun-filled Smiling up at me I died to be living Couldn’t resist but to bend, pull her into my side To laugh While hugging her And kissing her on the forehead Thrilled Her being That slight hand embraced with mine Secure The two of us The waves Them crashing my knees, her chest People screaming In delight To be free It’s the ocean It’s summertime Again Peering behind me for her mother To see if it’s okay Me, with her daughter A stranger Who […]

I am a terrible Lady Boss. I take that back. Sometimes I’m terrible being the boss of women in my employment. When I give direction to a man, I usually get the desired outcome. There might be push back, but even if we have a difficult conversation, it usually leads to better results. With people of my own kind, I find that it takes a super strong woman to work with other super strong women. I had to stop training doulas in my birth business because the staff were too difficult to manage. The women felt my expectations were too […]