“I hate you, you’re not my mom!” I once shouted at my stepmother, looking her straight in the eyes for any hint of hatred back. The corners of her mouth curled inward, a sign she disapproved of my behavior, but she ignored me and continued cleaning the kitchen at a furious pace. When I was […]

I have a river dog, actually a Royal River dog, Banjo (rescued from Georgia). He is orange with a “pedigree” tail – fluffy like a collie’s, but it curls beyond 360 degrees 99 percent of the time. It’s a happy tail. We live by the river where the fresh water mingles with the salt water. […]

Mike and I were very different personalities. We had varied shared interests, along with our individual ones. We learned how each of us needed to move through the relationship, and over time adjusted how we interacted. He trusted my opinion on decorating our home. I trusted his on which wine goes with what meal. We […]

It was supposed to be the best weekend ever. I was 16, in love with my first boyfriend, and was to travel on a train from Baltimore to Virginia to see him. Peter had invited me to visit him at his boarding school in Virginia, for a weekend of football games and a dinner dance. […]

For my sister, “Let’s go” used to be defined by coaxing her two sons to get out of bed, ready for school and in the car before being late. However, at the ages of 80 and 82, she and her husband have drastically turned to a whole new chapter. My sister and her loving husband […]

There was no stopping me as I burned the candle at both ends before my “let’s go have fun” mojo disappeared a few years ago. I’ve rediscovered the mojo, but it feels radically altered, with little desire to participate in many of my old activities. Gone are the days of regular, elaborate dinners with wine, […]

For more than a decade, starting in the mid ’80s, members of my family made trips to Prince Edward Island. My brother-in-law John, for whom PEI is akin to paradise, often took the lead in planning these excursions. We had limited funds, so we pooled our resources to get the most out of our vacations. […]

Professionals often have opportunities to attend out-of-town meetings. I attended one just after I moved to a new church. The timing is never convenient. However, I found the setting both comfortable and comforting. We were hosted by a famed author-speaker (whose name the reader would recognize). He had not only best-sellers to his credit but […]

My first plane trip was to Japan in 1959. I was 5 years old. Dad had received his orders – three years stationed at Tachikawa Air Force Base. We were so many and so young, we had a group passport picture: My harried mother stood clutching my baby brother Tom, four kids under the age […]