Stories of a single mother raising four kids after her divorce while trying to reinvent herself, including dating again

On Being Modern

As I opened the box with a picture of a half-eaten apple, excitement surged: soon my life would have speed and efficiency. My current laptop was old, tired, and moving at a snail’s pace. Like that cliché known as a mid-life crisis, I needed a younger, newer model to make me feel alive again. But as I turned it on, my joy quickly dissipated. The internet connection in my new apartment was not recognizing the password and wouldn’t allow me to change it on […]

Setting Me Free

 

As I stood ready to say goodbye, I shuddered. We’d been through a lot: four children, celebrations, the death of loved ones, and my divorce. For thirty-five years, my girlfriend held my hand through it all, but it was time to let her go.

In 1982, my former husband and I went on the hunt for the perfect house. It was a buyer’s market and properties sat allowing shoppers time to make their choices. After a month of seeing everything there was to see, we […]

FOMO or TOMO

Sitting across my girlfriend at Starbucks, I had an overwhelming feeling something was not quite right; a stirring deep within as if a mean girl were taunting, “I know something you don’t!”

As she discussed the latest about her family, I realized I’d become vacant.

“What’s wrong with me?” I wondered, finding myself distracted.

Fidgeting in my seat, the answer suddenly came – my phone hadn’t rung or beeped with the sound of a text the entire time we were together.

“Excuse me,” I said, as we took […]

It’s only a title, but it says it all

As my shaking hand scribbled away, changing my future forever, my attorney asked a question I hadn’t thought about, “Will you be taking back your maiden name?”

Stunned, I stared speechlessly. Up to that point, half my life I was known as Jackie Haugh. Who would I be if I weren’t her?

Soon, the tide rose around my eyes, and I sniffled, “Wouldn’t that be like getting an annulment? I have to think about it.”

Driving away, I stewed over the idea. I stewed so much I […]

Taking a Field Trip

 

With my Barbie lunch box filled with extra treats and my play clothes freshly pressed, I headed to school ready for a day of excitement. It wasn’t often St. Charles Grammar School allowed their student’s free dress. It was even rarer to go on a field trip.

“Now class,” Sister Margaret announced as we sat on the bus. “Remember, today is a day for learning. Not fooling around. I expect good behavior out of all of you.”

Despite the fact the outing would be more hours […]

Sometimes I’m Just too Stupid for My Own Good

Photo by Miguel Bruna

 
If someone labeled me stupid when I was young, my self-confidence would be ripped to shreds, leaving me feeling worthless and undesirable. But at this moment, I deserved to be called out as a complete idiot.
On June 28th, I went in for what was deemed a mere procedure on my knee: nothing major, nothing life threatening, just a little tear in the meniscus. Having already undergone two hip replacements, I was sure my recovery would be easy-peezy.
That morning, I Ubered to […]