As I stood on the lawn just above the sinking dock on which male uncles and cousins gleefully set off illegally procured fireworks, watching explosions of color and then facing away from the gagging sulphur smell that followed each eruption, I felt the giddiness of release after so much grief. Much more elaborate and professional … More Will You Take My Hand?
I am headed to Malone, NY (yes, the same place where escaped convicts, Matt and Sweat, hid out and were eventually killed and captured.) As mentioned in several posts, the occasion is my grandma’s funeral and co-burial of the ashes of grandma and my step-grandpa, Irv. At the funeral, I will do a Bible reading, … More Idols
My friend, Joey, tapped friends to write about their purpose and homecoming (what you will take with you when you pass.) Joey is usually acerbically funny (I am sure there is a stronger verb that could have enabled me to avoid using an adverb, but I’m tired so this will have to do.) It is … More Greatest Gift and Homecoming
As I prepare to say a final goodbye to Grandma, I am reminded of how much I learned from her and her daughter, my mom. Grandma had nine children, and was a devout Catholic. She respected the sanctity of life, but also was practical. Women should not be judged, and their reproductive rights should be … More Inheritances
My last post was published a month ago. I don’t think I’ve gone that long without posting since this blog was started almost two years ago now. Crazy! So many times a post will be writing itself in my head, but then it loses relevancy or just seems too trivial. I have been reading all … More Summer Is Here
My beloved grandmother passed away on Saturday, April 25. I knew it was coming. I prayed for her to pass soon. She was suffering, and needed to escape the pain, struggle, loneliness and inevitability her life had become. Still, it stings and lightens. Some moments I feel as light and buoyant as a let go … More Goodbye Grandma
Hubby has been very anxious lately. His work has been especially demanding, and it is getting to him. Also, our twin sons are in seventh grade, that’s only five years away from double college tuition…yikes. They get good grades, so we can hope for academic scholarships, but my understanding, obtained from provoking media, is that … More Time to Get a Job Job (Treme reference intended)
Winter finally eased its grip on Western NY, its relentless chill now a memory. I can’t seem to spend enough time outside. I am not idle, doing as much to wake the garden as the warm sun overhead. When I moved to this house, I traded my prized perennial garden, the culmination of twelve years … More Pruning
My family and I visited my father and Mark, his husband, this past week in San Diego. In the month leading up to the trip, I experienced interrupted sleep which induced anxiety, and two incidents of poor judgment/inattention that luckily did not result in bodily harm. I wondered if this impending reuniting might be the … More West Coast Connection
Dear Robin Williams: You have been gone a while now, but you still touch people and help them connect. This past weekend, my family watched Mrs. Doubtfire. We laughed the whole way through. The kids especially liked the part where you told your ex the drink killed your dearly departed husband. Specifically, when you said … More Dear Robin Williams
Breaking the Cycle 716 