A Beautiful Day in My Neighborhood

Turning on the TV, I looked for something age appropriate, educational, and fun for Michelle, my two-year-old daughter. It was 1983, and I needed a distraction so I could tend to my second child, Michelle’s baby sister Jenni. Up to that point, Michelle had never watched this form of entertainment and, not familiar with any children’s programing myself, I began channel surfing. Soon, I came upon a soft-spoken man with puppets and a message about being a neighbor and how we’re all perfect just […]

Jack(ie) of all Trades

As I jumped from an art project to my computer, then off to do laundry only to circle back to the art table again, I noticed my dad peering at me sideways, studying my comings and goings. Wondering what he was thinking, I asked, “You look deep in thought. What’s on your mind?”

The year was 2012, and I’d been caring for him since my mother’s passing 9 years before. Crippled, he spent most of his days sequestered to his frayed recliner, eyes closed. But […]

The Art of Cheerleading

As I came off the basketball court, I heard someone sneer, “Cheerleaders! What a bunch of losers.” Never one to back down from a fight with my three brothers, I took umbrage and went face-to-face with this dweeb, a pimply-faced sixteen-year-old boy.

“It takes talent and a lot of energy to get out there and do what we do! It’s a sport just like any other.”

Stepping away from me, either because I was in his personal space or, perhaps, because he noticed my fisted left […]

The Shadow Side

As I listened to the latest news swirling around Washington, I sighed. Since 2016, my head and heart have suffered over all the arguing and nasty comments, as well as the direction our country is going. Turning off the TV and heading for a glass of wine to calm down, I began to think, Perhaps there’s something good to be found in having Trump as our president.

 Please, before you jump up and down to scream at me or to cheer me on for my […]

No Longer that Girl

As I practiced the words that scrolled down the teleprompter, my voice began to tremble with each screwup. “Ugh! Why can’t I get this right?” I moaned. Painful memories from my youth flooded my mind and I broke into tears.

When I was young, I grappled with a learning disability that went undiagnosed. Back in the 1950s, why a child’s brain struggled with academics had yet to be discovered. Instead, you were labeled slow—or worse, stupid. Fortunately, I developed tricks along the way to help […]

What do I know: Letting go of expectations