If not when?

Pulling the four, freshly minted cards out of my wallet in Walgreens, I found myself flummoxed. Being new to this game, I looked at the pharmacist and sheepishly asked, “Which one do you want?”

As she stared at my Medicare identifications, she giggled. “I’ll take these two. Isn’t it fun to turn sixty-five?”

My first instinct was to grumble “no,” but instead smiled and went on my way.

On December 31st, I officially became a senior citizen. Long ago, in my uninformed teens, I thought turning sixty-five […]

Through the Eyes of a Child

Racing into the kitchen with excitement in every breath she took, Jenni announced she was preparing a snack for Santa. The year was 1994 and our home exquisitely decorated for the Christmas season. But staring at my precious doe-eyed child, I became concerned when it hit me: at eleven-years-old, she somehow missed the memo Kris Kringle was just a fairytale.
Pulling her older sister aside, I asked, “Michelle, did you know Jenni still believes in Santa Claus? I fear kids will make fun of her […]

Miracles Happen

 

As I walked the hospice doctor to the front door, a question burned inside. Dad was entering the final phase of his life, and he’d recently announced he planned to walk again. Since he hadn’t moved his legs in over seven years, I suffered over the impossibility of it.

“Doctor, I worry about my father,” I began. “He’s so overly optimistic all the time. I feel he lives in a constant state of denial.”

Studying me carefully, the kind man smiled. “No, you obviously don’t understand. […]

Time to Speak Up!

Feeling the heat from beady eyes over my shoulder, I wanted to turn around and punch the kid behind me for stealing the answers to the test off my paper. But, knowing he was the 8th-grade star athlete, as well as charmer all the nuns loved, I felt it best to keep my mouth shut. She’d never believe me anyway.

 

Going to St Charles Catholic Grammar School in the 1960s, it was well ingrained into all the students not to tattle. The nuns had more […]

Not my problem

As my younger brother, Tim frantically searched the house for his high school history paper due the following day; I rolled my eyes in disgust. This wasn’t just the first time the dog ate his homework. It was a habitual occurrence, and, being his older sister who fixed all of life’s mishaps, he tried to make it my issue too.

“Jackie, have you seen it?” he hollered, rummaging through the papers strewn all over his bed and on the floor. “I need your help!”

“What makes […]

My World of Imagination

On a recent trip to the Stanford mall, I found myself in a terrible traffic jam. No, not the frustrating kind on today’s freeways where we grit our teeth to hold back building road rage, but unnerving just the same. I was hungry and on a mission to get some Pinkberry frozen yogurt before perusing the stores when I found myself stuck behind a crowd of people moving at a snail’s pace.

“What is going on?” I grumbled, wondering if there was a demonstration of […]