“I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.” I heard my soon to be 15-year-old daughter sing my praises from the back seat of our mini-van as I pulled into our driveway the other day. “Well, you know Liz, I’m not that fond of you right now either.” The car was now safely parked, and I heard the swish of her door open. “I hate you, and that’s all there is to it.” My dear … [Read more...]
It Took Becoming a Mom for Me to Find My Voice as a Woman
Words have always come easy to me. My parents told me I was speaking full sentences by the time I was 18 months old. At two, I corrected my grandmother’s pronunciation of Santa Claus. Words came easy. My voice was another matter. It wasn’t until I became a mother that I found it. I was a shy, insecure young woman. The dyslexia that made school and life so hard made me an … [Read more...]
When Something Is Wrong With Your Child
I still remember the morning, 14 years ago, when I knew in my soul something wasn’t right with our daughter Lizzy. She was six weeks old and gorgeous. I was enjoying a few lazy moments of cuddling with her in my bed after a feeding. I’m not sure what made me notice it that day, but as I was talking to her, it struck me that she wasn’t looking back at me. That was it, … [Read more...]
It Really Does Take a Village to Raise a Child
It’s that time of year again. A few weeks ago I started getting notes home from my daughter’s special needs school, first reminding, then begging me, to please send in this year’s parent intake form This is the form that asks me questions such as, do I think my special needs daughter will be her own guardian? (No.) Or, what are my hopes for her future? (I have no idea. I … [Read more...]
My Daughter, the Fashion Model
Last Saturday my beautiful teenage daughter and I spent the day in a crowded New York hotel ballroom getting her ready to model in a fashion show. This might not seem that unusual, given that our daughter is 5’8” and has adored makeup, shoes, and clothes almost from infancy. One of her first complete sentences was, “I need my Chanel perfume,” and she has always loved the … [Read more...]
