Stories of a single mother raising four kids after her divorce while trying to reinvent herself, including dating again
GalleryThe Tears of a Mother
As I walked into the laundry room, my heart stopped beating. There, in the middle of my new tile floor stood my one-year-old daughter Lauren tap dancing in a puddle of permanent blue paint, smiling brightly. Instantly, my eyes began to sting with the tears that would soon come. We’d saved five years for that simple remodel, and now it was ruined. Oh, the joys of being a parent.
Over the past forty-two years, the one thing I’ve gotten good at is crying, and it […]
GalleryMoney Comes and Money Goes – but it’s the emphasis that makes all the difference
Photo by Sarah McCutcheon on Upsplash
“Crap, how do I pay all these bills this month,” I cried out loud, looking at the dwindling balance scrawled in my checkbook. A recent real estate deal I was working on wouldn’t close for another month, and my stocks had taken a horrific hit because of the mess our country—our world—was going through. Since I became a single mom twenty-one years ago, money (or the lack of it) has been the bane of my existence and the source […]
GalleryFor This, I Refuse to Apologize
Author and her only son
Over my sixty-nine years, I’ve done many things for which I needed to apologize. I’ve lied, cheated, talked about others behind their backs; I even stole candy from the local deli as a child. And each time I was caught, I had to put on my big girl panties and own up to the misbehavior. But there’s one thing I refuse to ever apologize for, and I mean ever.
About a month ago, I was with my third daughter, Lauren, for […]
GalleryIn Praise of Birthdays – even if it means we are growing older
Quote by Oscar Wilde on Monday’s Flower
On a cold, dreary December day nineteen years ago, I had coffee with a dear friend at the local Starbucks. Letting out a long and disillusioned sigh, I began to cry the blues regarding my upcoming 50th birthday. Menopause had crept in years earlier, and I felt my youth slithering away with the onset of this momentous age.
At that point, in my mind, I was still 35, but the mirror screamed something different, making it harder and harder to […]
GalleryYou Don’t Know What You Don’t Know – So Keep Your Eyes Open
Living life with eyes wide open
The dating world is, and always has been, a tough world to be in. But when you reach your sixties, it sometimes feels impossible.
After my divorce in 2001, I tried dating online. Now, if you’ve ever tried to date this way you know how difficult it is. People aren’t always what they describe themselves to be, and I don’t just mean age, physique, or interests. God knows I’ve had my fair share of men being shorter than their profile […]
GalleryRunning Out of Time
With my head deep into the garbage can at the local 76 gas station and my rear end poised high in the air, I let out a wail. “Crap! How could I be so stupid? I don’t have time for this!” (Note to self: never hold credit cards in the same hand as trash.)
Pulling myself out unsuccessful, I turned to see a distinguished, bearded Indian man (complete with turban) staring wide-eyed. While he’d likely seen others go dumpster diving looking for cans and bottles […]