A Mother’s Birthright

 

Tiptoeing into our hotel room just past 1:00 am, with her Betty Davis hazel eyes sparkling brightly, my daughter Jenni instantly became confused when I had an explosive “Mommy moment.”

“Where in the hell have you been!” I yelled. Just like back in high school when she’d missed her curfew, I was furious. “This is Mexico, for God’s sake. Something bad could have happened to you and I wouldn’t know it.”

Lifting up my cell phone and waving it wildly in her face, I continued, […]

Past, Present, or Future?

With cries bellowing from the nursery, I rushed in to save the day. I was sure my grandson needed me. After all, I’m his Grammie, the baby whisperer. Sitting in bed, with snot running down his face, he continued wailing even after I picked him up. I finally realized it wasn’t me he wanted, but his favorite stuffed animal, Lovey, that had fallen out of his crib.

Cuddling him close, I gave Lovey back, but just as I did, he dropped it to the floor […]

I’ll Have What She’s Having

Slipping into my newest outfit from Lululemon and my matching neon green hiking shoes, hair and makeup ready to go, I prepared for my six-mile walk from my daughter’s apartment to the Golden Gate Bridge and back again. As I made my way through Fort Mason, then onto Chrissy Field, I soaked in the beauty of the San Francisco Bay and the magnificent orange bridge ahead. Feeling energetic and alive, I was clipping along at a quick pace, happy with my progress, when all […]

The Secret

As I motioned to my class to gather around me in our room at the El Camino YMCA, fifteen tiny dancers in fluffy pink tutus huddled into a tight circle. “Okay, girls,” I said happily. “I have a secret to tell you!” Gluing their little four- and five-year-old shoulders side by side, faces brightly smiling, they waited in anticipation for my top-secret announcement. Usually my proclamations come with a sucker or some other treat for a job well done. But today’s surprise, in my […]

My Year of Asking for Help

Standing in my bedroom in 1974, my mother schooled me once again with her steps for finding the perfect job. Having heard it all before, I wanted to scream. At twenty-two years old, I was now a college graduate and, in my snarky opinion, no longer needed her advice.

But, as I pounded the streets of San Francisco’s financial district in my long, homemade jean skirt covered in embroidered flowers and a peasant blouse that slid down my right shoulder, I began to wonder if […]

This Too Shall Pass

As I walked into my apartment, excited to spend time with Lauren and her new baby Bowen, I was hit with the reality of her life. The little one, now two-and-a-half months old, was experiencing his first cold, thus forcing his schedule completely out of whack and turning night into day. On the couch, with eyes swollen from fatigue and tears, sat my sleep deprived daughter. Remembering those early days with my eldest, I took her in my arms to soothe her tired moment […]