Archives

I picked up the surviving sliver and asked, “Where are the other pieces?” I was once broken too. Loss separated me from the life I had with another. I turned inward. There, a little [...]

My one-year-old granddaughter Emily’s tiny hands clutched the plastic shovel. She pushed with all her might through the wet sand and then tried to put both of her feet in the slender divot. [...]

The view on the beach of my son and daughter playing with their own children mirrored my life of three decades ago. I thanked God for the reflection. Ocean Whisper: The ripples of my life pool [...]

Young girls sold painted sea shells on the sidewalk outside of their beach house. I bought four. Ocean Whisper: My grandchildren will inherit my world; I like to pave the way with kindness. [...]

The Crick The big kids in Ames swam in the crick. I was not allowed. When I was little, my mother warned me not to swim in the tempting watering hole in the summertime. She said there were [...]

Child’s play is kid’s work and I worked very hard at playing when I was a kid. For me, my 1950’s childhood was a time of self-discovery during an era when it was safe to wander about the [...]

Mothers give directions and expect their children to follow them. My mother gave many directions. I listened to my mother and followed some. Others I ignored.   “Don’t look under the paper [...]

  Church. My family and I regularly walked there on Sunday mornings in Ames, New York, no matter the weather. Marching in a line, the six of us navigated the irregular slabs of the village’s [...]

The word athletic was only used once in my life to describe me and it appeared on a trophy.  It will probably never be used again, but at least I had my moment. The lead up to my athletic [...]

Dear Santa, I need to know if you are real. My friend Joanie said of course you are real. She asked me, “Where else would all of the presents come from? Nobody has that much money!” She is the [...]