My youngest, Charlie, keeps me from succumbing to my maudlin self. With him, there is no room for my own self-pity. Years ago, as he embarked on his college education, John, our oldest, moved to Pittsburgh. And we were devastated for a while.His big personality left a hole from the moment we dropped him off,… Continue reading Grounded

One of the experiences my mother was most proud of was her service as a WAVE during World War II, so it’s fitting that today, on what would be her 97th birthday, we remember D-Day. My mother, gone so many years, still visits me often in dreams and brief memories. I can no longer hear… Continue reading The memories we carry

I live in a weird little world of white able-bodied privilege. I can't deny it. Even as I work for equity and equality, stand up (online) for immigrants, minorities, the disenfranchised, my day-to-day life is absurdly sheltered. Today, watching my nephew graduate from high school, here's what I saw: Both class speakers were young women.… Continue reading The world we envision

My husband and I used to argue, not about anything that necessarily affected us on a daily basis, but about everything else, specifically anything political. And, you know, I was always right. So we'd go for days without talking, or anything else. When we got married, we really didn't know each other. Who does? We… Continue reading When I was younger, I was always right.

So much has been written about ‘the last’. The last goodbye. The last hug. The last time you picked up your baby or your toddler. The last diaper change. The last kiss. The last time you held a hand, shared a meal, a laugh, a touch. And yet, there never really is enough said. The… Continue reading The last goodbye