If adulthood is defined as being completely self-supporting and living on one’s own, then I achieved that milestone when I was 23. If it is defined by getting married, having a child, or paying a mortgage, I crossed those off my list at 27, 33, and 35, respectively. But looking back, I now know I became a card-carrying member of the grown-up set the morning I … [Read more...]
The Life of a Princess
I’m a girly girl that was born to a mother and a family that never really appreciated nor indulged my passion for all things pink, sparkly, and shiny. Both my parents had the crazy idea that my sisters and I should grow up feeling that we were more than just pretty objects to be taken care of and admired. We were raised to believe we could be anything we wanted to be. The … [Read more...]
The Day a Bag of Candy Saved Me
When the phone rang I didn’t think twice to run and pick it up, even though it meant leaving my five-year-old son and two-year-old daughter alone in the sun room with a preschool goody bag filled to the brim with Easter candy. I figured it was my mom asking me a quick question about the upcoming holiday. Not for a second did I think I was picking up a call that would change our … [Read more...]
Educating Lizzy
The other day I had my annual parent/teacher conference for my 13-year-old daughter. Each and every time I visit Lizzy’s school, I’m assaulted with a range of emotions, from gratitude and respect for the school’s teachers and staff to dread and sadness as I get buzzed through the heavy doors and enter the lobby. I smile at the attendants at the front desk as I sign the guest … [Read more...]
Dear Elizabeth’s Mom
Thirteen years ago a little baby girl with a head full of thick black hair made her way into the world. She screamed so loud that when we told the doctor her name, he looked up and said, “Elizabeth is too demure a name for such a noisy little girl.” Six weeks later I was cuddling my daughter when I looked down at her and experienced a panic that I’d never had before or … [Read more...]
