I could swear Kim Zolciak was singing Tardy for the Party in my dream. Or was it just the alarm? That horrible tinny pop music that my kid uses to wake him? Only it never wakes him. Me? Another story. So I start the morning routine. Yawning. My eyes burning. Coffee. Even the aroma helps. […]
Endings, Beginnings, and Everything in Between
My propensity for nostalgia hits full swing in Autumn. October in particular seems to activate a melancholic side; the season’s fragile cusp between warmth and chill, between light and dark. I am moodier. I am reminded of endings. Then I give myself a good swift kick, and remember that for every ending, there is a […]
Loosening the Apron Strings
Giving them permission to make mistakes. Parenting teens.
Timing is everything
Time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking… Trying to wake the kid. Rushing to get his lunch made. Hoping the car will start. Scrambling to get things done hours earlier than usual, and “usual” is pretty damn early. Crossing my fingers that I make it to the dealership. Pleading for no traffic. Counting on that loaner. […]
Stigma
It used to be illegitimacy. Or abortion. Or divorce. Stigma was attached to actions that were overtly or tacitly unacceptable. The consequence was banishment from the fold. Being shunned by those whose approval you wanted. Whose love you needed. Some of the reasons may have shifted, but stigma remains a part of western culture. Children […]
Starting Over, Over and Over
I ask myself: How many times must I learn the same lesson? And I answer: As many as it takes. I ask myself: How many times must I start over? And I answer: As many as opportunity allows. Starting over I find myself starting over – again. Small things. Big things. And of course, simultaneously. […]
Self Portrait: What’s Your Angle?
How do you define yourself to others?
Tough Call
Trusting our teens as they learn to make their own tough calls.
As plain as the nose on my face
It’s been bumpy around Ye Olde Homestead of late. Cycles of teen stress, silence, a talk, followed by improvement. Two or three days later, the cycle repeats. Fortunately, I have plenty of shoe dye for the gray hair. And far more patience than I ever realized. I also have a usual go-to solution. A great […]
Big Things
Dealing with the next big thing, and the next, when it comes to parenting.