The Journey Ahead: Continued
An age-old instinct was triggered the other day, when I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, felled by a nasty stomach virus and trapped at home, recovering but still weak and irritable.
I wanted my Mom.
A little old for that, aren’t…
Hold Me Closer, Tiny Dancer
The Scene: Spring dance recital.
The Location: A clean, bright church in the heart of downtown.
The Players: Scores of dance students in assorted matching ensembles, ranging from restless, over-stimulated three-year-olds in tremulous…
The Cruel and Beautiful Tricks of Time
I like to think I became a grandparent at a fairly young age (don’t we all?). Let's don't dwell on whether that is a delusion. Just believe me when I say that life can sometimes look very similar to the way it rolled before the age…
Confessions of a Spoiler
It is a truth universally acknowledged (as the immortal Austen might have put it), that giving stuff to kids is fun.
They make it so easy for you, the little buggers, when they radiate anticipation, joy, and wonder in such bewitching fashion,…
There’s No Friend Like an Old Friend
The first time I saw her, she was sitting alone in the bleachers, a row or two above and to the side of my little cluster of friends as we waited for the pep rally to start. We were freshmen in high school, that tender, socially feverish…
Can Manners Really, Truly Be Fun?*
Seated recently at my table for Sunday dinner, my grandson uttered a phrase that is sure to make the heart of any grandparent sing with delight and hope for the future.
“May I please have some more mashed potatoes?” he asked, with…
Culinary Fantasies and Four-Year-Olds
I had the chance to feed Buddy and Sis their dinner the other day, and when thinking ahead to the menu, I thought I’d try something easy that might be a fun change of pace. We’ve always been big breakfast fans in my family, and upending…
Bottomless Pits, With Legs
“I declare, I believe that boy has a hollow leg.”
This affectionate observation was delivered many years back at family dinners by our great uncle, watching in good-humored amazement as my little brother worked deftly through his…
The Journey Ahead
Those of us who reach mid-life (a time-frame with a definition that seems to stretch, these days, thank heavens) and still have one or both of our parents are among the very fortunate, indeed. And as the journey continues, inevitably we…