My mother made me do a crazy thing before I left to cover a war

(I’m pulling out a column from way back in honor of the brave journalists covering the mess in Ukraine.) 10 years later I still can’t believe I did this. But, I guess when your mother catches you keeping one of the biggest secrets of your life, you do as you’re told. Rewind the tape to 2003 when President George W. Bush had declared the US would invade Iraq. If you remember correctly, he just didn’t say exactly when, which, it

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How Candles In A Church I Don’t Belong To Help Me Find My Way Home

Italy. The answer is Italy. If you caught last week’s column, Dear Reader, you left me stuck on a mountain top in Oman with a husband who was using frequent flyer miles prowess to get us home. “How about Milan?” he piped up as he worked his booking voodoo. He found a beautiful hotel and two first class seats through Dubai into Milan. For pennies, as he’s apt to do. “We can tour the city. We can go to Lake

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When Mother’s Day Means Being The One Who Let’s Her Go

This is to be Mother’s Day? Sure doesn’t feel like it’s supposed to go down. I find myself thinking about that this week. A lot. I read countless posts about daughters celebrating with their mothers. About bountiful brunch feasts. About women so thankful to hold their children close. Then, I look around. At my holiday. This year. This Mother’s Day. The first without my mother who passed last August. There will be no celebrating with her, I tell myself. Over

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How My Mother Shocked Me In One Of Our Final Moments Together

Leave it to my mom to depart this world with an incredible story. A surprise. A mystery. This one unfolded during the early morning hours in her darkened hospital room in the days before she passed a few weeks ago. Just me and her. Oh, how I’m thankful for those stolen private moments available only because the nurses offered me the couch and some blankets to spend the night in my mother’s room. Moments to write down all that she

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Amazing Reason Gene Simmons of KISS Has Never Done Drugs Or Gotten Drunk

This story about rocker Gene Simmons of KISS is not what you would expect to learn about a legendary music star. Simmons tells The Los Angeles Times that he’s never done drugs or gotten drunk. That’s incredible enough from a man who has been a superstar in the music industry for decades and the reason why will blow your mind. Gene Simmons made that pledge early on in his life in honor of his mother. His mother is a survivor of a Nazi

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The Hair Question Every Woman Eventually Must Answer

It’s the looming question waiting for every woman at the bottom of a plastic bottle. The answer you give that informs the world information about you without your saying a word. What do you believe? What is beauty? And so, Dear Woman, I know you’ve asked yourself. Will you or won’t you? Do you or don’t you? When that time comes, do you— Reach for the bottle? Bottle, as in plastic. Bottle as in— Do you choose to color your

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Still Not Easy Learning To Share

Please catch my newspaper column each week in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Dayton Daily News and other newspapers across Ohio.  Here’s this week’s column: My parents’ chiding still rings in my head. “Daryn, you need to learn to share your favorite doll and toys with your little sister.” Ah, memories of being 8 years old and being taught to share. Now as an adult, it seems to me of all the absurd things we try to teach and expect kids to do with

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