Family

A few years ago, I was walking in the park with my granddaughter, when she spotted an ice-cream shop, just a short distance away. Her eyes sparkled and her mouth worked itself into a cheeky smile as she prepared to convince me why we should pay the shop a visit. Read More

I was only a teenager when I lost my mom to cancer. At the time, the emotions that I felt were sharp and hard, like crystal being thrown against a wall. Read More

Will I go or will I stay? I found out last November that my first grandchild was on the way. As I shared the news with close friends, they were quick to ask, “Will you move back?” Family members in the U.S. wanted to know the same thing…

My mother’s last journey on earth was in the fall of 2014 as her casket was carried from the Presbyterian Church to the cemetery. As we drove behind the hearse through the village of Wendell, Idaho, I recognized the three-mile trip as a snapshot of her life. Read More

Growing up we lived several miles from the nearest town. I wandered the woods and rocky cliffs along the Mississippi River. At six or seven years old, Mother sent me with an empty honey pail to pick wild strawberries in the meadow or blueberries in the marsh. I never thought to be afraid. Read More

As a native-born Texan, my Daddy was geographically and culturally predisposed to be a storyteller.

Since everything is supposed to be bigger and better in Texas, it was sometimes hard to separate the fact from the fiction in his tales. Like the beginning of this short story about a popular game of the time he played with his brothers, sisters, and friends. Read More

As a grandparent, there’s nothing greater than spending time with your grandkids.

There’s something just so amazing about watching those youngsters grow up, while you get to share precious time, stories and experiences with them. Read More

Have you been married for more than 30 years? Congratulations!

Whether you have reached this milestone with almost no friction, or, like most couples, had to deal with plenty of “plateaus” over the years, this is definitely something to be celebrated. Read More

Grief is a tricky thing. We understand the process during the death of a loved one but forget its role during divorce, especially if when ending a decades-long marriage. Read More

No one knows better than I do just how difficult moving on after a divorce can be. In many ways, recovering from a divorce as an older woman is especially difficult. Read More