It was summer in Southern California, and our usual team of neighborhood kids had been playing up and down the street. Just like we always did. Nothing about the day was designed to create lasting memories. We stopped at the water hose in our front yard. That’s when my mom—back from her monthly grocery run—asked… Read More
My four-year-old granddaughter has played with miniature princess figures since she could hold them in her tiny hands. But on her fourth birthday she asked for a baby doll. None of us thought seriously about the doll request. After all, how could a baby doll compete with beautiful gowns, tiaras, and a make-believe world of… Read More
The calls came at random times of the day and night. “Mom, I love this place! I want to stay here forever!” “Mom, I can’t stand this place! I can’t live here another minute!” “Mom, I have so many best friends!!” “Mom, I can’t deal with the drama!” There were tons of exclamation marks. Every… Read More
My friend left her daughter at college today. And my mama heart ached for the goodbye I knew would be so hard for her to say. It’s been 20 years since my oldest daughter left for college. Today she’s a wonderful wife and mom and has a life that’s fuller and happier than I knew… Read More
I put my girls to bed and then crumpled into a heap on my bedroom floor, first sobbing and then halfway wailing. My husband had been gone for weeks and the home fires I’d promised to keep burning had imploded on me. His job took him overseas for three months at a time, and I… Read More
“There are so many things I wish I’d done differently while raising my daughters, but sitting together at the family table isn’t one of them.” I spoke those words in response to a question I’m asked often. Today my three beautiful daughters are grown with husbands and children of their own, and I’m often asked… Read More
In spite of raised eyebrows from family and friends, we boarded a flight to New York. My daughter had been having seizures for three long months. The first one, which happened while she cheered at a high school football game, left us stunned and scrambling for answers. The answers never came. But more seizures did,… Read More
She skipped and twirled into the room, her pink and purple tutu skirt like a streak of pastel watercolor. It was my granddaughter’s sixth birthday, and she couldn’t contain her excitement. Her unicorn headband, sparkly nail polish, and braided hair with a huge purple bow had been carefully chosen by her for her big celebration.… Read More