The hotel room The popcorn ceiling, valance curtains, brightly colored abstract images in gilt frames hanging over each double bed. Six hangers on a pole by the door, with its emergency exit and checkout instructions posted beneath a tiny keyhole. There is olive carpeting with a small pattern, striped wallpaper in the beige bathroom with […]
Home Alone
It is a long weekend in the States. A holiday. Memorial Day. For some, it is a day spent in realization of this occasion. But for most, this weekend announces the arrival of summer vacations, of travel, of family time. Carefree or carefully constructed schedules. A break in routine. A break, of any sort. And […]
Sweets
It was always a special morning. It required early rising, a hurried glance at the sky, and readying the chocolate eggs, the plastic eggs, and the painted hard-boiled eggs. There was coordination with other parents on the street – always a conspiracy concocted to keep our children distracted, and of course, a backup plan in […]
Travel time needn’t mean headache
Leaving… on a jet plane… Grab the passport, pack in an hour, and hop on a plane – for a fabulous destination! Oh yes. I used to do it in a heart beat, with no worries and a great deal of efficiency. Moreover, I was always excited to travel – especially if it meant the […]
Who Are you? What Are You?
Who are you? What are you? Silly questions? Maybe not. I know who my “dream self” is – and of course, 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, based on your “here and now?” Does […]
Parenting from a peripheral planet
The thing is – we remember when they were completely dependent on us, and we were the center of their universe. That makes the shift to the periphery a struggle. For us, not them. A teenager’s world may be built on a foundation lovingly laid, brick by brick, by one parent, two parents, grandparents, aunts, […]
Left foot red, right hand blue
Remember “new math?” Wasn’t it just old math – with a twist? I can’t recall what the twist was (natch), but I can think of plenty of other twists and twisters… tongue twisters, Twister the movie, and Twister the floor game that’s been around since, uh… when I was a kid! But my latest “twist” […]
My dog is shrinking
My dog is shrinking. Honestly. And there’s no bone density test for the family mutt (like there is for the maternal one). After all, once past the age of 7 she’s over 49 in “people years,” and doesn’t that explain that the dog is less perky, less playful, less “big?” Land of denial (I like […]
Light Bulb
You know that flash of recognition when you just “get it?” It’s almost physical – the sensation of understanding – really understanding an important piece of information, or the significance of an event. As if a light is turned on. That sort of epiphany can be good or bad, satisfying or bittersweet. Any number of […]
Passing the Torch: Siblings Helping Each Other
Siblings compete. They fight. At times, they resent each other. Whatever their relationship, wouldn’t we prefer if they helped each other out? Birth order and context come into play, as older children may feel they carry too much responsibility, middle children feel neglected, and the “baby” protests that he’s overprotected. If we’re lucky, our children […]