A few years back, a well-intentioned therapist probing my history for signposts tried to steer me down the Mother Track. It must be routine and fruitful territory in her line of work. It was high on her list of questions, and she seemed mildly surprised by my responses. “Did you resent your mother when you […]
Growing old, together
An alluring spring dawn had announced itself through the slats in the window blinds long before we raised our heads from the pillows simultaneously and locked eyes. No words were exchanged, but the message was clear. Keats would have observed us as two souls with but a single thought: It was too early to get […]
Blood, Memories and Time Travel
At six and four, Buddy and Sis are old enough now to enjoy the occasional overnight visit at my house. These visits linger in memory with certain central “themes”. Oh, yes, I might think, looking back, that’s the time we made peanut butter cookies the first time. Or, that was the time Buddy first dove […]
Love on the Heels of Loss
These are my Easter shoes. Pretty spectacular, yes? They tend to attract a lot of comments when I wear them, at least once every Easter season. But these aren’t just fabulous footwear. These are shoes with a story. In early fall of 2012, our family faced news for which there is no preparation. My beautiful […]
Listen, here: That much, I can do
The status of grandmother was bestowed on me six years ago last month. Oddly, it didn’t come with a manual. Though it is surely one of life’s richest blessings, I’m still trying to figure out how to do it. There must be others out there who, like me, feel so different from grandmothers of earlier […]
From the Mat to the Mind and Heart
At first there was church, of course, but there had always been church, and probably always will be. Then there was therapy, some of it encouragingly productive, though one shouldn’t dispense stars for service well rendered on such things, like online restaurant reviews. There was always walking, more walking, no shortage of places to walk. […]