The Gift of Words
I paused before I folded this napkin. I was really hesitant to put anything about death in Emma’s napkin notes these days. I didn’t want her to focus on my mortality. I wanted her to focus on life. On…
Parenting Nugget
Last fall, my husband and I marked twenty years of wedded-ness and to celebrate we ate gator nuggets in Everglades City. No small feat, twenty years together, so we planned this trip to Florida for just the two of us…
Healthy Relationships
As family members age, they often become more reliant on us to help them with their lives. When Grandma and Grandpa need help mowing the lawn, changing light bulbs, or lifting heavy boxes, the solution is easy: Drive over and…
When Dad Pushes the Cart
I guess I might as well laugh. You’re next in line behind me here in the checkout line. By your clothes, your haircut, and that just-happy-to-be-here look on your face, I’d say you’re a senior at the college not far…
Resolution Revelation
I am not one for making resolutions. For me, the whole thing feels like a cloud hovering over my head until it finally dissipates, just in time for Lent, when I can repackage the same basic pledge. You might think…
Teens and the Sleep Issue
Q: When my daughter was younger, she had difficulty falling asleep at night. She would read and fight sleep for hours. Now, she is sixteen. She is in her room by eleven most nights, but cannot – or will not…
“Mom, what’s wrong with him?”
The moment your child sees mine, he knows something is a little bit different – or a lot. It might be in the way my child moves, in his facial features, in the braces on his legs, or in the…
Scrooge-Proof the Holidays!
It starts as soon as the Halloween decorations are cleared out. Sometimes, it’s even earlier. The clock starts ticking and the pressure is on to create the perfect holiday season for your family. As a mom of two children, of…
How Christmas Works
Christmas is a lot of work. This is news to absolutely no one. Especially moms out there reading. And single parents. And dads who split holiday-making and child-rearing duties fifty-fifty with their partners. (Which means it’s only half as much…
The Family Business
Society is changing, in some cases with head-spinning rapidity. Marijuana is legal in some states and making strides towards legalization in others. Same-sex marriage is now legal in a majority of states. Everywhere we look, it seems that groups who…
