I had a Hallmark Moment this morning. It wasn’t pretty. Everyone who’s old enough to remember Hallmark TV specials and commercials (or who watches the Hallmark Channel now) knows this: if you have a heart at all, you’d never make it through a 60-second spot without at least a slight dampness in the corner of … More The Mother of All Hallmark Moments
The past week or so has been a whirlwind of activity with holiday events and work activities (sometimes with the two rolled up into one), filling up my days…and evenings…and early mornings. Fun? You bet. But even the excitement of celebrating professional successes and spending time with friends I adore can make this girl tired … More Her Breath on My Cheek: Mom’s kiss was just the Christmas gift I needed
Tomorrow is yellow, pink, baby blue and sunshine. Flowers, sweet fragrance. Sparkle and bling, trinkets and charms. Smiles, laughs and a warm embrace. Endless, unconditional, one-of-a-kind love. Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. It’s my first without the woman who taught me, by example, how to be a mother and how to be a daughter. Two roles … More Tomorrow is Mother’s Day
I thought it would be Mother’s Day. That’s the day I thought I’d miss her the most, the day I’d be mostly acutely aware of the void, the gaping hole, in my world. Eight months after saying goodbye, I am feeling stronger in general. But I brace myself when I see one of “those days” … More A Motherly Kind of Love
The tiny, baby blue Datsun sedan pulled into the driveway at 5:00 every weeknight, like clock work, setting into motion a flurry of activity. The table would be set, then came serving up the pork chops and fried potatoes or some other comfort food that Mom knew Daddy would appreciate after a long day in … More Dinner for 3 at 5
Leaning back in the uncomfortable arm chair, I was mesmerized by the magnolia’s silhouette in the silvery, pre-dawn moonlight. A lovely distraction on the other side of the window, breaking up what had been a long, hard night that would most certainly segue into a long, hard day. She had been there for the better … More Magnolia in the Moonlight
“You’re fine,” she said as we rolled up to the stop sign, “just don’t stop right on top of the railroad tracks.” Easier said than done. Mom made driving a stick shift look so easy, fun even. I certainly wasn’t having fun, and I doubt she was having much of a good time, either. I … More Flying By the Seat of My Pajamas
I’m a voracious note-taker. Sometimes people tease me about it in meetings or doctor appointments, but it has come in handy many times. I also like to record memories by taking plenty of pictures or video with my cell phone. I did none of that, though, during one of the very most significant events in … More It’s Never Too Soon to Start Finishing Well
I joined the guys on a trip to the gun range yesterday, where they planned to do a little target practice, then get in some sporting clay competition. This isn’t a place I know well; it’s definitely more Darren’s domain than mine. No matter, though, because any time Jake and Zack are involved in something, … More On Guns and Butterflies
During this Thanksgiving week, I’m thinking about the people in my life and how social media has been an instrument for support, love and friendship when it was most needed. I remember like it was yesterday the day I jumped into the Facebook world. It was a rainy afternoon in 2009, and watching my new … More More than Selfies and Silliness
FlutteringBy 