Big Little Wolf's Daily Plate of Crazy

Something has changed. I no longer ask myself how I look. Occasionally I’ll stop at the mirror and think: hmm, tired. Other times, it’s: okay – not bad.
I also don’t step on the scale daily, after a lifetime of doing so. I consider this progress after decades of obsessing over my weight, just like [...]

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Alka-Selzer time?
Did you eat too much? Drink too much? Indulge in a little seasonal gluttony? Ah, the phenomenon of the morning after – best survived by the young; nonetheless an experience familiar to those who should know better.
The morning after
Some of us remember our partying days (and nights) in college, or possibly through our twenties: [...]

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Who are you? What are you?
Silly questions? Maybe not. I know who my “dream self” is – and what she does. And then there’s reality. So, when asked who you are or what you are, how do you answer? Is your response automatic and factual, or does it come from a place of self-examination?
Vital statistics
If [...]

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I woke early, remembered four extra teen boys sleeping in my house – somewhere – and stopped by one of my favorite spots, trying to hold off on that first dose of caffeine. I dropped in at Kristen’s place, Motherese, where there was a particular cookie. And it looked delicious, and perfect, and made me [...]

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Why oh why do you think that you must “tell all?” Every little corner of the self revealed?
Whether confiding in a significant other or writing in the so-called public forum, do you know when enough is enough? Would I present my every thought, my every tale and detail for public or private consumption?
Don’t [...]

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When a birthday rolls around, I want a candle and a wish. My kids shake their heads, but I don’t care if it’s a candle in play-doh, a bran muffin, a cupcake, or a piece of fruit.  I want to make a wish. Why? Because since my sons were born, my birthday wishes have always [...]

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Sometimes our children surprise us. Really surprise us.
I remember my older son defending his much littler brother against a bully, a kid who was beefier than both of them put together. But my first-born threw himself into the fray without hesitation, and got the bully to back off.
Flash forward nine years. That bully is one [...]

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Dream analysis over dinner
My younger son leaned back in his chair at the dinner table and reached over to the bookcase. He slipped out a glossy paperback and began flipping through it.
“Why do you have a book on dream analysis?” he asked.
My son doesn’t normally initiate a discussion. This was a pleasant change. [...]

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Metro tickets in my pocket

I finally drop my weary body onto the bed. It’s nearly 9 at night, and my son pops into my room and wants to go out. It’s Thanksgiving break. He’s 16. Of course he wants to go out. To a nearby pizza joint, about two miles away. Friends are waiting, and [...]

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Season of joy? Any time, any place. Peek at Joy Part 1, and Joy Part 2, if you haven’t. This is (for now) the last of today’s trilogy of tiny moments filled with the best sort of joy.
Phone call
About an hour ago I received an unexpected phone call from a West Coast friend who [...]

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