Original post from May 11, which disappeared from this blog… Today marks my oldest son’s twenty-first birthday, that magic American number, our vision of ultimate freedom. I have had this day planned for weeks, but as I sit here, I cannot seem to find my stride. My every intention has been to celebrate this day. I ordered a surprise for … Read More
On Love and Hate
As a child–heck, even as an adult–I have felt others’ pain. I have never liked mean-spiritedness. Jokes created at the expense of others (gay, religious, academia, mental…) have always brought sadness and frustration to my heart. We are one people. We are human. And though we were created as one existence, we were not created equal, for had we been, … Read More
Celebrating a Gift
The birthday card my mother sent me a few months ago was simple, a few watercolor flowers sitting atop a box; the creators had glued a tiny blue ribbon above the scrolling message. The words inside held a lifetime of sentiment that I will remember for years to come: You are a smile and a gift and an amazing story of growth and change and … Read More
Living Color
Pink is my favorite color. When I wear pink, I feel feminine. I feel warm and fuzzy inside. Needless to say, last Monday provided a good day to break out the pink hat, gloves, and scarf. I donned them over my pink blouse with white lace. The blushes looked fabulous against a pair of dark denim jeans. What can I … Read More
The Giving Tree
Finally! I have been yearning to write this post…and my time has arrived… Today’s temperatures are a bit more moderate here in the Northeast. Snow mounds abound on every corner and rise high in parking lots. We’ve had two school closures due to snow and one due to a raw chill that dipped to twenty below. Brrrr… The entire country … Read More
Food for…
I have been carrying around Geneen Roth’s, Women Food And God, for months now, hopeful each day will provide a few stolen moments… Actually, my life lends itself, daily, to a number of mini barren blocks of time. How I deplete those minutes varies, but most recently I have exhausted them through word wars with my sister. Word wars in the literal sense, in the … Read More
Moments
I have needed today. I have looked forward to today. I don’t spend enough days devoted to pampering myself. How many of us do? Yesterday I toiled and worked and slaved at my computer, preparing for year-end. Papers up the wazoo. Though I felt a great sense of elation when I checked off giant piles of receipts that needed reconciling, … Read More
A Personality Peril
After the Thanksgiving meal, our family conversation somehow landed on the topic of personality traits. Each of us seems to be bent toward a particular action. Caretaker and fixer are the two types our nine members discussed around the dinner table. I have thought often about my inherent nature. What I have discovered is this: I am the problem solver, the fixer. Many a dilemma places me on a path of contemplation … Read More