I wrote this piece a few weeks before my dear aunt Fran lost her battle with cancer more than two years ago. Even after all this time, I find myself stopping to call her whenever my mother is driving me a bit crazy, or my kids are doing something I know she would love. This week would have been her 76th birthday. Though my mother named me Katherine, she has always had … [Read more...]
The Next Frontier for a Princess & Her Mom
I don’t know what I expected to find on Wednesday when I went to a open house at the school for special needs children my daughter will be attending next year. But I didn’t expect to feel such profound sadness. Will I ever completely accept my daughter’s limitations? As I walked the hallways with the other parents, I started to have my doubts. Lizzy will … [Read more...]
Barbie, My Daughter and Me
Each time I open one of my kid’s lunch bags, I feel like a TV executive looking over the latest Nielsen ratings. The goldfish are gone—yea, we have a hit. The popcorn looked like a sure-fire winner yet it was untouched. Pull it. I am ruthless. I can’t waste time and money on a snack that doesn’t score. As a mom, I have to make quick decisions every day. Many are no more … [Read more...]
