In that period of time between homelessness and engineering, my brother Marc was a custodian. He emptied trash, washed floors and picked up after people just like me. Until his future boss got to know him. Got to know the guy emptying the trash in his company’s space. Got to know my brother, the man… Continue reading How much do you know about the person who cleans up after you?

Yesterday I returned a call from a former volunteer, one whom I had never met but one whom I’d heard a bit about. An older woman with a finishing school accent, she was lovely to talk with. We chatted for a while, about her history, her current life, her next birthday (80), her upcoming move,… Continue reading A memory of giggles

30 years is a long time for anything. My God, I can't even believe I'm old enough to remember 30 years worth of stuff! But 30 years it is. 30 years of truths, filled with love, heartache, adventure, poverty, sorrow, fun, boredom, humor, adoption, childbirth, more love, frustration, sickness, insecurity, joy, pain, raising children, more… Continue reading 30 years is a long time

Every year, on July 15, I celebrate John’s birth, the moment he came into this world, cried his first cry, breathed his first breath, opened his eyes, laid eyes on his first mother. It is a celebration of a day 23 years ago that passed like any other for me, a day centered on an… Continue reading My son’s first mother

When John was a little boy, his energy was boundless. Once his eyes opened in the morning, they were open until the last little bit of energy had been exercised from his body. I think he came into the world that way. For certain, he came into our lives that way. As the mother of… Continue reading Three little gifts