It had been a week of fever, crushing headache, body aches, joint pain, and a mysterious rash when I finally panicked and went to the emergency room for evaluation.  What a bizarre world is the ER.  I saw a man, severely sunburned from head to toe, who had fallen asleep in the sun.  I saw another man pulling teeth out of his mouth, stating that he had fallen down a flight of stairs.  I saw a mother holding a listless child in her arms. (more…)

Four years ago, I went apple picking on a New England farm and came home with a bag of Macs and a black baby bunny.  My children were initially thrilled with this new furry family member, but eventually the novelty wore off and Bella the bunny became my charge. (more…)

The elementary school that I attended was on the top of a large hill.  On the last day of school as summer vacation was officially proclaimed, we ran down the hill screaming at the top of our lungs.  Now, a mother, as summer vacation begins, I also (on occasion) can be heard screaming at the top of my lungs. (more…)

For 3 decades, he had two waist-length signature braids and then . . . snip . . . they were gone.  It has been heralded as “the haircut heard around the world”.  Why?  Who?  Willie Nelson, of course.  I grew up in Texas where he was an icon.  For all of us, those braids were his identity. (more…)

A sea of mortarboard caps . . . seniors with tear-soaked tissues . . . parents dabbing at moist eyes.  Pomp.  Circumstance.  Ah . . . graduation.

When I graduated from high school, I was overcome by the end of life as I knew it.  It was not only the end of school but also the end of my residence in Texas and the end of living with my parents.  When I graduated from college, I was likewise cognizant of the ‘death’ of everything familiar. (more…)