The other morning my husband and I were just waking up in our bed, cozy and warm. "Do you realize that this Valentine's Day it will be 20 years since we got engaged?" I smiled as Joe said this. Then I felt a hand reach out to me. It would have been romantic if the hand was Joe's. But the hand in my face belonged to our sound-asleep six-year-old, Peter. I don't remember him … [Read more...]
Unexpected Lessons
I still remember sitting on the train not knowing what was going to happen when the train pulled into the familiar station. Thoughts and memories just started to assault me. I was scared. What was I coming home to?It just seemed so impossible. I had spoken with my mother in the morning before I went to my new job as a hostess at a trendy restaurant. I usually would check my … [Read more...]
Mommy Blocked
This week I have really been struggling with trying to find something to write about. It's a classic case of writer's block. Usually, when I'm working on the weekly blog, I rely on a memory or an event that makes a good story. But this week, nothing. Nothing wants to take shape. I usually like to work with music playing, so first I try the oldies station I … [Read more...]
Remembering
Some days I'll never forget. The events are so etched in my memory I can at once be brought back to the exact feelings I experienced. My wedding day, and the births of my three children are the good ones. Then there are the bad days, and September 11, 2001, may be the worst of all. The panic and grief overwhelmed me as I watched the towers burn and fall on that horrible Tuesday … [Read more...]
Touchstones
Each day I do the "morning tango." First, I get my daughter on her bus, blow her a kiss, return to the front door, and then come back out again with my youngest. After he gets on his bus with a kiss and a smile, once again I go into the house only to come back out half an hour later to drive my oldest son to middle school. Each time, I dash in and out of my door, I get to see a … [Read more...]
