Rob and I were greeted with a genuine smile by a woman we had never before met and invited to come into her classroom, the same place where my 11 year old had recently been learning all about the “order of operations.” As we only had fifteen minutes, I jumped right in stating my concern […]

Read more "The Protection of Children"

Last night, my 11-year-old son handed me a typed note with a line for my signature. It read, in so many words, that he was sorry, what he did was not the right choice, and that he could be counted on to do differently going forward. It was addressed to a teacher with whom I […]

Read more "The Punishment of Children"

Arguments have been made that literary agents and publishers prefer to represent and distribute work done by men over that done of women. While there is no scientific studies I can point to, there is certainly enough anecdotal evidence to lead a female writer to wonder whether the lack of interest in her work is […]

Read more "Nom de Plume"

I read a book yesterday. An entire book–all 286 pages. I got it the other day from the library upon a recommendation from a trusted friend. The story held my attention and made me think about some things I’d not previously considered: the local devastation after a nuclear power plant melts down and teen homelessness. […]

Read more "Little Help: The Last Book You Read?"

The other day a friend and I had a conversation where each of us shared details of our private lives. Both of us disclosed intimate facts about ourselves. At one point, I recognized that this was the first time I’d said many of these thoughts aloud. My friend echoed this statement. Sometimes when a person […]

Read more "Likened to a Vault"

These words were said about me a couple of years ago by a woman who I had once considered a close friend. As much as I think she said these words to assign all of the blame of our fractured friendship on me and somehow–in her mind–conclude that her shortcomings were relatively benign, she was […]

Read more "“She Has Boundary Issues”"

Back on January 11th, I started a Facebook group. It was a proactive move to encourage thoughtful debate among the diverse women with whom I share a community. The only requirements for membership were: living in my zip code and being a mother. Our only rule mimicked Fight Club’s first rule, i.e., You don’t talk […]

Read more "And Only 66 Days Later, the Exodus Begins"

On Monday–around noon–I got my nomination papers for the elected position of Library Trustee. It’s a position I held for four years some time ago and a role in town government I truly enjoyed. I was told to get at least forty-two signatures. Forty-two is a rationally related number to the total of registered voters […]

Read more "The Kindness of Others"

I have dreamt the deaths of my four children, each iteration more violent than the last. In my sleep, I’ve felt the heat from detonated hydrogen bombs and breathed the smoke when trapped in burning buildings. I have drowned and been shot. But in general, nightmares come to me on the very rare occasion. I’m […]

Read more "Fear the Trojan Chicken"

Being an adult is hard. Expectations force us to do things we’d rather not; responsibilities require us to participate in activities we’d prefer to avoid; obligations compel us to behave in inauthentic ways. Oh for the days when my biggest challenge was trying to sound esoteric in my term paper on Existential Neomarxism. (Side note: […]

Read more "Envy the Ostrich"