We social animals have something most other species do not: the ability to express ourselves through language. Whether it is spoken, written, or signed, we have gone to great lengths to harness the power of words with the singular goal of interacting with each other. Save Juliette on the balcony–alongside other dramatic soliloquies, we pretty […]

Read more "If Only I could Keep my Mouth Shut"

Who doesn’t like being asked random questions about themselves? I was nominated by Sarah Mitchell-Jackson to take part in this “siblinghood of the world blogger award.” (I haven’t a clue what it’s about, but I trust Sarah. You would, too, if you knew she was nominated for a Pushcart Award.) The idea is that I answer […]

Read more "Siblinghood of the World Blogger Award"

I’m a sucker for an offer. Make a suggestion which instills in me the fear of missing out on the “opportunity of a lifetime,” I’ll sign on the dotted line. When the Kirby guy came to demo the “Diamond G,” he had my non-refundable deposit in his clammy hand before he’d even finished all six […]

Read more "Knowing when to Say “When”"

It’s been close to two years since I began writing. At first, I thought it was going to be simply a way to “be creative.” (I don’t knit, paint, sculpt, or weld.) It has turned into much more than that. With seven manuscripts on my bookshelf, “backstage passes” to contribute to two online journals, and this […]

Read more "There. I said it. And then I said something else."

Did you know this blog is hosted by a champion? I can’t say that I’m one for “titles,” but I did have one shining moment where I like to reflect back upon occasionally. When I was in the third grade, I was the after-school Clue champion. You remember that old board game everyone played? It […]

Read more "And Now for Something Completely Different"

In January, I donated blood. It was a huge hassle. Last week, I scheduled today’s donation: not with the same chaotic outfit from a couple of months but rather at my local hospital. I’ve donated there before; it’s fairly seamless and they have been consistently pleasant. For this donation, I won’t be going alone. Rob has agreed […]

Read more "Let it Bleed"

Three years ago, I traveled to Florida to be with my mother because she was having “a procedure.” The oncologists and surgeons can dress it up in euphemistic language all they want. Their linguistic hair-splitting didn’t change the fact that my then sixty-five-year-old only living parent was having cancerous cells cut out of her left […]

Read more "What It Means to Say Good-Bye"

I am not at home. Yesterday, it was from my laptop–set out on my mother’s dining room table in mid-state Florida–where I learned about a death of a 47-year-old husband and father. It has been from that same perch where I have been observing my small town’s response, exclusively on Facebook. While deeply felt emotions […]

Read more "The Community Standard of Grief"

My dad died seventeen years ago. I was twenty-seven. Since his death, I have gotten married, earned a law degree, birthed four children, and written over a million words. When I hear people express sadness over the death of someone in their eighties or nineties, I know their pain is real, yet I also know […]

Read more "Death is Relative"

(If you are arriving to this post without the benefit of knowing the backstory, I invite you to read what started it all and then find out what happened next before reading this post.) Rob arrived to meet the principal before I did. He was just about to the front door when I caught up with him. I was […]

Read more "A Prescription for Children"