Essays

In addition to providing a safe and accessible home for my belongings, my bag told the world who I was. Okay, I admit it. I’m a bag lady. No, I’m not a homeless woman roaming the city with all of my worldly possessions packed into an assortment of plastic bags. I’m fortunate to have a … Continued

I couldn’t wait to grow up, couldn’t wait for the day when I could curl my hair and wear high heels and lipstick. I blame it on the lure of the forbidden pink curlers. From my perch on the toilet seat lid, I’d watch my mother roll her short, frosted hair into neat logs stacked … Continued

Learning something new was fun. I certainly developed a new appreciation for photography skills and off-the-wall fish tales. The newspaper headline announced, “Photograph Your Forest – Summer Contest.” With so much time spent indoors and social distancing this spring, I read the rest of the article with interest: “Capture spectacular views, special moments and hidden gems.” … Continued

I feel self-care means preventing loneliness, preventing irrelevance, preventing mental stagnation by engaging in activities that promote one’s self-esteem. Le Bonheur n ’a pas de Rides isn’t easy reading if you’re not French. In it are idioms and slang of a present-day 34-year-old French writer, who self-published her novel about an 85-year-old woman, who gets stuck … Continued

When my alarm went off, I contemplated hitting snooze, then I remembered that I was making time for myself, and it was important. I was important. “I love that you are always happy to see me in the morning,” my son Evan said a few years ago, “That’s one of the reasons you’re such a … Continued

What we need is always there for us, and if we put out the intention that we are open to receive, the universe will deliver. When my friend suggested I take a yoga class with her several years ago, I wasn’t even thinking of the spiritual benefits.  It wasn’t so much that I was closed … Continued

Shades of oranges and pinks in the sky over the ocean signal the arrival of that special orb which begins to warm the sand and provide another sunny day. Nothin’ could be finer than to be in Carolina, in the morning – always murmurs in my head as I stroll along the white sand of … Continued

For a moment, we can be in their kitchens, standing in their shoes, and sharing their stories. This holiday season, there are fewer gifts to buy and cards to mail. There are empty chairs at dinner tables and gaping holes in our hearts. My family is disappearing. In just over a year’s time, I’ve lost … Continued

I had no idea the juice was supposed to taste awful. What was wine, and was I in trouble? It was Christmas Eve 1965 and for the first time in my ten years (or for as long as I could remember) we were having company for the holiday. Dad invited a family who had arrived at their … Continued

Perhaps the fading year has not been a bright one; all the more reason to count our blessings and share a glimmer with those around us. It begins every October. Some dim Sunday afternoon I climb up and poke my head into the storage space over my garage. Brushing away cobwebs, I totter backward down … Continued