I do a double-take. He looks so familiar, but I can’t place him. Fifty-something. Wild curly hair. Animated and grinning. Given that I’m already miffed – and rushed – I let it go, continuing to my car. “Miserable morning,” I mutter to myself, adjusting the heating pad beneath the backs of my legs. Turning over […]
What Is the REAL Problem? Having It All or Doing It All?
Are we confusing “having it all” with “doing it all?”
Spinning Your Wheels
There are times your goal is visible, and it seems, just out of reach. If I can push myself a little longer, you think, and so you do. You push. Hard. You develop a habit of pushing yourself that becomes the routine of your mornings and your afternoons, the standard transition into night’s long hours, […]
IVF, Older Mothers, Emma Thompson, Aging Out
Howard’s End was on the tube last evening – a film I love, among other things, for two of my favorite British actors. Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins. Released in 1992, we see a lovely Thompson at age 33, and Hopkins, then 55. But I was bothered that I hadn’t seen her in many films […]
Fashion Flair the French Way: Lesson 2 (The Perfect Perfume)
When personal style is not complete without… perfume!
Ghosts, Goblins, and Ghouls
This week, Gale at Ten Dollar Thoughts wrote about the division of responsibilities among couples – how the lines are drawn when it comes to bringing home the bacon, household chores, childcare, cooking, yard work, and more. As a long-time single parent, my view of domestic duties operates from a different perspective. I’ve raised my […]
Doubt
A child takes her parent’s hand at the age of two or three, with confidence. She looks up and smiles. She doesn’t doubt; the world assures her that her parent will hold on tightly, and keep her safe. But no one stays a child forever. The world is complicated. We learn to move beyond ourselves […]
A Round of Applause for Healing Hands
He paged through the test results from five weeks ago. Didn’t say much. There was a flicker of a raised eyebrow. I interrupted his concentration: “She said everything was normal.” He nodded, then shook his head for a moment at something, then turned back to me. He’s an older man. His face is a little […]
Physician, Heal Thyself…
Four years ago following a medical runaround that persisted for close to a year, a friend insisted I get on a plane, travel to France, and see a physician there. I did. With my medical records, my scans, and my stories of who said what and who didn’t say anything. I got answers. A diagnosis. […]
Monday Morning Complaint Department: Grand Reopening!
Come on. Admit it. You’re happy for the opportunity to vent. Freely. To bitch a little. Or maybe a lot. To know it’s okay. But first, a digression. I was wondering about those who complain frequently. I pondered the moaning-groaning personality type – if it’s a personality issue – and what it takes to reinforce […]