They taught you. They challenged you. They changed you. They’re the memorable teachers in your life. The other day I heard the rumble of a school bus and thought of those educators who made a difference. What made them special? What made them succeed? How did they get under that “school-sucks” barbed wire? Maybe it […]
Admit it. When you were young, you thought being in your fifties was older than time itself. You couldn’t imagine being that aged and decrepit. But then the years moved forward. And here you are. The strangest thing is you look around and realize they aren’t so bad. In fact, here are seven reasons why […]
Lots of people are changing gender these days. And I get the notion of being born in the wrong body. But it got me thinking. Would I rather be a guy? How would it feel ambling through life with better pay, more corporate and political clout, not to mention a bigger, stronger body? Would I chuck […]
You think they’re just wooden structures. They’re containers, made to hold people and possessions. Houses don’t have souls. At least that’s how I felt until I drove by my old home of ten years. That’s when my heart broke. Our beloved, beautiful house was abandoned. Our wonderful family home had ended up the neighborhood eyesore, the […]
The other day my son Paul suggested something so disturbing, so cringe-inducing, so horrific, I had to hold onto my kitchen counter for support. “I need a new bureau. Let’s go back to Ikea.” All I could do was shake my head, repeating the word, “No.” I cannot. I will not go back to IKEA […]
I drive by our town’s carnival and feel the tug. I smell the popcorn and hear the tinny music. I see families, teenagers, and the elderly making their annual pilgrimage. Memories take me back. And that’s when I realize this event has seen me through six major life stages… The Small Child – At 5, […]
Have you ever had the urge to get away by yourself? Just luxuriate in your own company? I recently spent a weekend alone, which was…okay…incredible. And afterwards, I realized it helped in 8 vital ways… First, I didn’t have to go far. I travelled thirty minutes to a beautiful seaside inn on Long Island Sound. I had a lovely view of […]
The other day I was in my neighborhood grocery store when I encountered a tall, middle-aged African-American man stocking shelves. He had a cart full of product and part of it blocked my way. I looked at him, smiling, saying, “Excuse me.” He turned and gazed at me, his eyes hard, face tight and unsmiling. […]
Ever know you shouldn’t do something…but do it anyway? This happened to me recently when I happened to walk by my son watching a spooky movie about a possessed, haunted doll. I knew not to sit down. I knew I’d remember that doll’s evil black eyes. Or the way she could make her rocking chair […]
Lately I’ve had trouble shutting out the world. I’ve been longing to escape my over-fed, too-busy brain, this brain that can’t stop THINKING. Each day I’m bombarded with not only my problems, but the planet’s. I’m hooked into too many devices with too much multi-tasking. Yet the other day, I happened to watch a video […]
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