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There Never is Just One
Family isn't always just the people who you live in a house with. A grieving widow may have lost her husband, but that man was a son before he married. He was "best friends" with some of the kids he grew up with; and oftentimes, he is a brother to siblings, a nephew to aunts and uncles, and cousin to many. The wife must be comforted, but it shouldn't be at the exclusion of acknowledging others who grieve with her.
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Why I Get Nostalgic in the Fall – Part Two
I never really missed not having other extended family around during the holidays. And after experiencing the chaos, personality tensions, overcrowding, and the mess that was left behind when we did, I really didn’t understand the fascination of it all.
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Why I Get Nostalgic in the Fall – Part One
Growing up, there was an unwritten rule that every holiday had its own season, filled with its own family, church and community traditions. In the Fall, that meant starting by picking out pumpkins and turning them into jack-o-lanterns in October, highlighted by attending at least one Halloween party. Growing up on military bases, there was aways an event happening this time of year at the Community Center that we would attend. Back then, no one really thought about sanitary things like we do today. So doing things like bobbing for apples was actually a thing, along with other fun games that were big draws. They typically had age-appropriate activities in…
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Childhood Reflections on Memorial Day
Schilling Manor was a unique place. It wasn’t a typical military base. We were a small knit community of moms and kids who had at least one thing in common. Our dads were thousands of miles away fighting a war in a place the majority of us couldn’t find on a map. And when someone’s dad didn’t come home, we all knew. It impacted us all. Would we be next…to watch that car, filled with those men, driving slowing down our street?
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The Promise of America the Beautiful
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Happy Heavenly Birthday
I know it might sound a little crazy, but whenever I buy and cut open a watermelon, it makes me think of my dad. My family loved watermelon. Fresh. Ripe. Juicy. The smell alone brings back memories of our summertime growing up. From being out of school, to being on vacation; as a child, summer meant freedom, fun, picnics, and backyard cookouts. We didn’t just hang out outside. We loved being outdoors; especially living on an Army base. Playing with friends, riding bikes around the block; even walking to the community swimming pool or the movie theater, with barely a dollar in our pockets, which bought plenty back then. I…
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A Picture Paints a Million Memories
A friend recently posted on her Instagram that she thinks her kids and husband are growing tired of her taking so many pictures of them. Then said “but one day they’ll thank me.” I couldn’t agree more. Somewhere along the way between my post-high school days and young adult years, I became the unofficial keeper of the family history, including pictures. I wasn’t as obnoxious as one of my sisters who “ready or not,” would shove a still or video camera in your face and take your photo or start filming, whether you wanted it or not, I believed in the “grab your lip gloss, straighten your shirt, pull your…
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The Secrets Our Journals Keep
I picked up one of my old journals today for the purpose of looking for something specific that I’d written over 10 years ago. I’ve hung on to every journal notebook I’ve filled, perhaps as far back as high school, though their locations vary. I wish I’d been better organized all those years ago, and included a table of content, of sorts, so I’d remember what was in which journal. One of my nieces recently turned me on to something called “bullet journaling,” which I’m going to try with the next new journal I pick up. But this morning, as I continue work on my book, Was looking for something…
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Conversations with a Stranger
I’m back in my hometown for the Memorial Day weekend. It’s been mostly a good trip so far. I’ve kept it low key, not trying to connect with everyone while I’m home. For most of the first of two weeks, I’ve been hanging out at Starbucks in an attempt to get some writing done. So far, it’s been a little disappointing, as I’ve endured several distractions, including some I create myself! But I had an interesting distraction one day last week. I went to the same Starbucks and sat at the same small table two days in a row. The first day, I ended up joining in on some hot…
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Israel — The Holy Land
I made the decision to leave my cell phone at home. It was just that a “phone,” and I didn’t want to pay the extra money required during those days, to have my service switch for international. It’s so much easier and cheaper no. During my recent trip to China, I didn’t have to pay anything for texting services, and very little to make a call. But those days, May 2005, the costs was higher, and the introduction of the smart phone was still over two years away. And I knew if there was an emergency, there would be others on the trip with their phones. So when we landed…
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Another Mother’s Day
As I sit in a coffee house today, working on this blog post, I’ll admit it’s one I’ve struggled with writing. Today is Mother’s Day and the world is celebrating. It’s nice that we put aside one day a month to focus on our moms; but mothers should be celebrated everyday. Or at least every week. But I know that I’m not alone in having mixed emotions about today’s celebration. I have many friends who have lost their mothers. The loneliness of their absence is still raw for most. And having a month with the never-ending advertisements constantly showing the happy families of adult children surprise visiting their moms, and…
