Granting My Mother’s Final Wish

I wonder if they know how ridiculous they sound. Those doctors. The ones trying to sell my mother on further treatment. How do you convince a woman months away from her 80th birthday that she should sign up a cacophony of torture? “We can put in a feeding tube for a couple of weeks,” their pitch began. “We’ll send you to a nursing home where you’ll be connected to an IV, sit in diapers, and wait. If you do well

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Sure Fire Way To Find Out You’re A Terrible Person

We’re having a popularity crisis at our house. What do you expect in house filled with teens? How sweet of you to offer your sincere compassion about our kids. Actually, you can save your concern. For them. They are fine. It’s we parents who are not doing so well. In case you haven’t heard– We are terrible people. Truly. Terrible. One teen this week was not allowed to drive home by herself through a bad neighborhood at 1 am. You

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When You Know Who Your Family Is, Even If You Look Different Than Others

You’ll forgive my cousin. She’s a little weepy today. Her Facebook feed popped up one of those anniversary photos that remind you where you were a year ago. What a photo. What a year. Amanda and her husband, Adam, were in Ethiopia. Meeting their son for the first time. In person, that is. They met him in their hearts years before. So, you might want to make this “What a three years!” Ask anyone who has adopted, Dear Reader. They’ll

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When Your Life Doesn’t Fit Inside A Hallmark Card

I took the trip again this year. Because I forgot. What a big waste of time it is. Yet, each year, I feel compelled to go. The event is big and must be marked. And so, I make the trip. Down the card aisle at the local drug store. I pick up countless cards. Not a single one fits. Where is the card you give your daughter commemorating the anniversary of your adoption? Where is the card that says meeting

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Daryn’s New Book, “Hope Possible!” Is Here!

I’m so excited that my new book, “Hope Possible” is here! The full title is, “Hope Possible: A Network News Anchor’s Thoughts On Losing A Job, Finding Love, A New Career, And My Dog, Always My Dog.” Here’s a peek at what it says on the back cover: From your TV screen, Daryn Kagan looked like she had her dream job.   As a news anchor for CNN, she had a front row seat to the world’s biggest breaking news

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The Shocking Thing I Discovered In My Teen’s Secret, Hidden Letter

I didn’t mean to snoop. I swear. I wasn’t looking to stumble across my teen’s secret letter. A letter bubbling over with emotion. With a broken heart. With defiance. She will stand by her man. “I have yet to hear a legitimate gripe about him,” she wails. “I’m not going to stop seeing him no matter what you say.” Oh my. And to think I was just hunting around in the basement hoping to find an old photo of my

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The CRAZY, Never-Before-Seen Thing I Saw On Our Family Trip To Africa

8,342 miles. Three plane rides. 29 hours of travel. What a trip. To see the sights of South Africa. Elephant, hippos, rhinos! Come on over and I’ll be happy to inundate you with our family’s vacation photos and videos. [iframe id=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ye-FRJ0NuGI” align=”center”] None comes close to the most remarkable thing I witnessed on this adventure with my husband and two kids. After all, How do you prepare a teenager they are about to enter a world they’ve never experienced? A

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The Last Place I Ever Expected To Find My Daughter

I thought we were so special. So different. No one else had a story like ours when it came to becoming a family. This kind of story of adoption. And there are a lot of great stories. We have cousins just back from Ethiopia with the son they worked two years to adopt. Me? I found my daughter in the funnel cake line. Yep, funnel cakes. Truth is, I actually didn’t find her. My friend, Craig, did. One hot, sticky

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Why Does Everyone Else’s Plate Look Tastier?

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? That’s turning out not to be true at our house. My 15 ½ year old dog, Darla, so sharp, she’s taught herself. Do I sound pleased? Because I’m not. This trick involves the cat. Darla has lived every day of her life with a cat. She’s never shown any interest in the dry cat food I leave down for the diva, I mean, the cat. A couple weeks ago, something

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13 Wishes For Our Daughter’s 17th Birthday

Dear Daughter, It seems like just last week I was sharing, “14 Wishes For My Daughter’s 16th Birthday.” yourcialisrx.com/cialis_soft_tabs.html With your 17th birthday upon us, the window is closing on your time under our roof.  Please allow me to get a few more wishes in: -I wish you know there are so many ways to win at high school than just grades and test scores. -I wish you know that despite crazy college admission arms race, you do not need

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