Tomorrow is Christmas Eve - and the beginning of the last Christmas my kids will have in their childhood home. I’m typing in the glow of the lit-up Christmas tree they helped me trim weeks ago with the ornaments that one collects during an adult lifetime. It’s a bittersweet feeling for sure. My home - … Continue reading The Beginning of the End
kids
Fingers Crossed
Tomorrow, my son returns to in-person school for the first time since March of 2020. It's something he's looking forward to and something I'm a little anxious about. Even though he has autism, my son is incredibly social and loves to be around others. He has always loved school, and being home hasn't been ideal … Continue reading Fingers Crossed
Threshold
At the start of this decade, I had just turned 40 and celebrated my 14th wedding anniversary to my kids’ dad. My older child was about to turn 10, My younger child had just turned 6 and had just been diagnosed with autism. I had no idea my life was going to blow up and … Continue reading Threshold
Life’s Lessons
I’ve learned a lot over the last 50 years (and still have much to learn). I think my most significant moments of growth have occurred, though, during life’s challenges. In the middle of them, it felt awful. But when I got to the other side, I realized I was smarter and maybe a little more … Continue reading Life’s Lessons
Halloween Free Write
This is a 15 minute “free write,” so who knows what’s going to come up. I don’t even know if I’ll use this once I finish… It’s Halloween, and my son is home sick from school. His dad brought him home this morning (it was his overnight last night), and when they got here, his … Continue reading Halloween Free Write
50’s Doorstep
I started my 40’s a decade ago with a kick-ass, blow-out party that my then-husband threw for me. It was the best party I had ever been to, and that’s still the case. My kids were 5 and 9. My marriage, I thought, was solid. I was looking forward to continuing our life as a … Continue reading 50’s Doorstep
Mamaversary
Nineteen years ago, I became a mother. I was ten days overdue, and my daughter showed no signs of wanting to leave the womb. They broke my water, and six hours later she was born. I ate an egg salad sandwich that day (I hate egg salad) because I was completely famished after all that … Continue reading Mamaversary
Reflections on 2018
As December progresses, and the year draws to a close, I think about where I’ve been and where I’m going. This was another year of big changes and growth. I am mostly healed from my divorce. My kids’ dad left for good in December of 2014. It’s been four years of learning how to single-parent. … Continue reading Reflections on 2018
Thanksgiving 2018
Today is a day that we sit down with our families and friends and give thanks for our blessings. We are thankful for our good health, for our warm homes, for the people we love (and who love us), and for the food on our tables. We spend the day visiting, eating, watching parades or … Continue reading Thanksgiving 2018
Sliced-up Life
Three years ago today, I was sitting in my attorney’s office as my soon-to-be-ex-husband sat in the office next door with his attorney. We spent the day slicing up the life we had built together, with this asset going here, and that asset going there. We had to agree on where our kids would be … Continue reading Sliced-up Life