I chose my outfit mindfully before meeting up with my friends the other day. Then during the entire morning, no one at all remarked about my clothes. They didn’t bat an eye about my dirt-stained shirt or my mud-caked shoes,…

My mom and I invited her sister, Dorothy, to the county fair for an outdoor country music concert. Aunt Dorothy loved everything about that genre of music – her record collection, the TV shows, and the Grand Ole Opry on…

I come from a non-dancing culture, an anti-dancing culture, actually. Until recently, dancing was a forbidden activity in the Mennonite faith community. It was certainly so in my parents’ growing-up years. When I was a child, my mother would sometimes…

Eight years ago, I was training to be an opera singer. I was living in New York City, where I was born and raised. My days consisted of vocal lessons, coaching, rehearsals, and auditions. I had already had my big…

There are many cliches to take the edge off of aging. Aging is like fine wine. You get better with age. You’re only as old as you feel. These statements have aged in their own way, becoming nothing more than…

My family would be hard-pressed to find more than a few natural, un-posed pictures of me as a young woman. I was never comfortable in front of the lens and went out of my way to stay clear of people…

I learned early on, that being a terrific grandparent actually requires a great many skills and expertise in all kinds of varied areas. In the summer, I was called upon to be, not just a swimming instructor, but the chief…