Published inThe Wind Phone·PinnedMember-onlyWe Are Allowed To GrieveAs much and as long as we want — The path of grieving is different for everyone. At least that’s what people tell me. And yet some judge us, tell us or others that they believe there is a finite quantity to what we should be permitted to feel. Some of them say the darndest things. Sometimes it is…The Wind Phone4 min readThe Wind Phone4 min read
Published inCrow’s Feet·PinnedMember-onlyIt’s Never Boring With Our Granddaughter EvaAnd in addition, she speaks baby — My granddaughter Eva turns five this spring. Where we live this means she will go to kindergarten in September. She is more than ready. While her mother filled in the paperwork her four older siblings had all kinds of advice for her. One of the more pertinent ones was the…Grandmother4 min readGrandmother4 min read
Published inThe Memoirist·6 days agoMember-onlyThe Accident That Changed A FamilyAn unpredictable variable of life — The bicycles were scattered across the grass until they got home from school. Then the boys began their riding up and down the driveway. Sometimes they jumped over ramps they built on the gravel. Mainly they tore like racers with the devil on their heels along the long path that…The Memorist5 min readThe Memorist5 min read
Published inAge of Empathy·6 days agoMember-onlyWhen The Kids Call: You Just Never Know What It Might Be AboutSometimes it’s just funny, not funny — He calls to ask me if I think his girlfriend’s face was bitten by a black widow or a brown recluse spider. I feel like saying, “Do I look like an arachnid expert?” Or a doctor for that matter. He says he’s going to take her to the hospital to…Age Of Empathy4 min readAge Of Empathy4 min read
Published inThe Narrative Arc·Sep 20Member-onlyI’m Afraid of Boating and This Is a ProblemBecause I live in one — Franklin was afraid of the dark, which was a problem because he was a turtle. I am a human and afraid of boating. This is a problem because I live on one. If you have never read Franklin in the Dark by Paulette Bourgeois you have missed out on a…The Narrative Arc3 min readThe Narrative Arc3 min read
Published inThe Wind Phone·Sep 19Member-onlyI Am Not Over ItI am just holding on, barely breathing — It’s been a bit over three months. And I miss my son. So very much. People think I am over it but I am not. I am still waiting for him to come back to me. To walk laughing towards me; tell me it is a massive joke and he’s…The Wind Phone3 min readThe Wind Phone3 min read
Published inRaising a Beautiful Mind·Sep 19Member-onlyDon’t Tell Them They Can Be Anything They WantIt’s just not always true — Can we stop people from telling teenagers they can be whatever they want when they grow up? Or the well-intentioned folks who ask your kid when he’s going to get his driver's license when that’s not an option. …Parenting4 min readParenting4 min read
Published inCrow’s Feet·Sep 18Member-onlyStranger Danger: Is it Really That Scary Out There?How time has changed our response to the world — We passed the young couple on the beach as we floated by. They sat snuggled together on a blanket, a picnic spread around them. Her brown hair was pulled into a bun on top of her head, wool sweater trailed gently over the edge of her hands. Snug black leggings…Crowsfeet4 min readCrowsfeet4 min read
Published inBeyond the Scoreboard·Sep 16Member-onlyA Question About Physical Contact in SportDo they have unwritten rules about team affection? — Do baseball players ask permission to pat each other’s butts on the way by? Or any other sport that has grown adults (or almost grown ones) who seem to be pretty touchy-feely on the field or rink or wherever they play. Kidding, not kidding. And I’m not talking about the…Beyond The Scoreboard4 min readBeyond The Scoreboard4 min read
Published inCrow’s Feet·Sep 15Member-onlyA Shocking Turn of Events: Students Will Need to Put Pen to Paper!Will AI influence how your grandchild is taught? Probably — In a shocking turn of events, students may be required to submit handwritten versions of their essays and assignments! This is at a time when some schools no longer teach children how to do cursive writing. Many districts gave schools the option of not teaching handwriting because it was seen…Crowsfeet3 min readCrowsfeet3 min read