Uplifting And Positive News
Dearest Daughter, We met when you were 11. I married Daddy when you were 13. The judge made you and me legal with our adoption when you were 14. This parenting gig really does fly by in flash, so before you zoom out the door, on the occasion of your Sweet 16, here are 14 wishes from me to you: 1. I wish that you know how much joy you’ve given your two mothers. Both Mommy in heaven, and now
Might as well out myself now. What I’m about to confess is totally politically incorrect, against popular thinking, and gasp, even prejudiced. I don’t like Fall. Or Autumn. Or whatever you want to call it. I don’t like it. You, who are giddy about chillier temperatures, start of football, changing leaves. You, who get goosies just thinking about putting on that first turtleneck. You, who feel like slipping into boots instead of flip flops, is like reuniting with an old
Might as well start with the good news. The experts tell me they expect my organ transplant to be a success. Kidney? Lungs? Heart? So much more serious. The extension of my body known as— My laptop. That lifeline to the internet, that link to my email, that toolbox for my writing. My digital bodily extension ended up this week in the computer hospital for emergency surgery. The crisis started with something so simple— A tall, refreshing glass of iced
We have a sass problem in our family. Teenaged sass. Talk back, argue, and try to negotiate every boundary kind of sass. “Take away their iPads!” you suggest. “Send them to their rooms!” you insist. Thank you very much for your parenting input. Thing is… The sass, well, it’s not coming from either of the two human teenagers who make their home under our roof. It’s coming from— The cat. The 3-legged cat. Pisa is her name. As in “Leaning
I bet you have a tattoo. It’s possible you have not been hanging out in a tattoo parlor wincing as some dude named, “Clyde” etches a skull and bones onto your right bicep. And yet, I bet you have a tattoo. I say this as part of a triple confession. Let’s start with—I don’t like tattoos. Never have seen their charm. Never have looked at someone who had one and thought, “Yep, they look better with that.” It’s possible tattoos
“Did you cry?” There you have the number one thing my daughter wanted to know, as she quizzed me like I was a guilty suspect and she was a top detective on CSI. Truth is, I can’t really blame her. As I’ve shared with you Dear Reader, since becoming a parent, I’ve become a crier. If you ask my kids, they will tell you that I cry at the most ridiculous times. I cried when one filled out a form
Beware the dark scary high-wire act of motherhood that no one tells you about. Until now. That’s my job, reporting from the frontlines of a daily occurrence that was something in my pre-motherhood days I actually looked forward to. I’m talking about— The school pick up. Pre-mommy me thought this would be a daily highlight! After all, the kids have been gone all day. You missed them. They missed you. As they
Many days she smells no better than an old blanket that’s been soaking in a bucket of sour milk for week. Her body sports more lumps than a bride’s first attempt at making mashed potatoes. Still, I look at her and know that I’m in love. She is my 14 ½ year old dog. Together, we’ve reached a bittersweet chapter. I now know Old Dog Love. Our story goes back to the year 2000. I was single and living alone
It was one of the biggest break ups of my life. If I’m honest with you, Dear Reader, I must tell you there are times when I’m still not over this great love. There are days, well, no, okay, at least moments, where I look over my shoulder and wonder, “Maybe we could try one more time to make this work?” This time, I have Robin Williams to thank for setting me straight. For love, the pull, the temptation are
You could’ve warned me. I’m talking to you, Dear Reader, who has been in this parenting game longer than the few years I have. Why did you not explain to me that becoming a parent is perfect blueprint for looking like a fool? Why is it that the very thing I try to warn my kids NOT to do I end up doing myself.? Usually, of course, right in front of their faces. I
