The best parenting lesson I ever received came from my dad. The lesson was delivered long before I became a wife to one and a mom to three. I was five. Back then, family trips to Eisenhower Park were one of my favorite things to do. No visit was complete until we visited the pigs at the park’s small petting zoo. Whenever my two younger sisters or I dared to get a little … [Read more...]
How a Heart Attack Gave Me Back My Father
At the end of this month, I will be 51. I’m now almost three years older than my dad was when he had the heart attack that changed his life and our relationship forever. The year was 1988. I still remember sitting on the Long Island Railroad, not knowing what I would face when the train pulled in the station. Smart phones and social media weren’t part of our daily diet, and … [Read more...]
Handy Man for Hire
“Now Tom, I want to warn you that Grandpa and I do seem to provide entertainment to the other shoppers at Home Depot. Don’t freak out if people laugh, smile or stare at us while we get the sheetrock. We have grown used to it.” My 17-year-old son laughed a bit and then looked at me as if he wondered just what he got himself into this summer when he volunteered to help my dad … [Read more...]
A Sign from Above
Throughout my life, in good times and bad, I’ve been comforted by signs and omens. Whether it’s hearing my favorite song come on when I’m feeling a little sad, or getting a call from an old friend at a particularly difficult point in my life, I’ve always seen these events as the way God or the universe communicates with me and lets me know I’m not alone. About eight years … [Read more...]
Living With the PIgs
The best parenting lesson I ever got came from my dad, long before I became a wife to one and a mom to three. In fact I was only five. Back then one of my favorite things to do was to go to Eisenhower Park with my family. No visit was complete until we visited the pigs at the park’s small petting zoo. Whenever my two younger sisters or I dared to get a little out of line, … [Read more...]
