A Cab Driver Who Appeared as if from Nowhere
I had a fever of 102° and stood in front of the hotel terrified that I was going to be late for a series of interviews. It started the previous day . . . Once my plane landed at LaGuardia…
Laughter is My Hero
My favorite scene in “Mary Poppins” involves the man who loves to laugh so much he floats to the ceiling. Then the children catch the levity and join him there. Even as a kid, I wanted to be on that ceiling….
A New Year in Old Clothes
I welcomed the new year in my sweats from 1985. They still fit, but only because the elastic exploded in 2005. There is a hole around the upper right thigh, and the white string was sucked into the waistband five years…
Why I Will Face the Fall
There’s something about the fall that makes me feel relieved and bummed out at the same time. Even though my kids are adults now, I still feel the relief seep into my soul when I see my first school bus…
Stumbling Starts with a Thought
“Sometimes girls just fall.” This observation came from my daughter in highschool when an aggressive soccer player repeatedly tried to take her down. It was near the end of the game when I saw the girl, who was twice the size…
The Power of Yearning and Earning
I wanted a purse that I had found in a grocery store more than anything, but my mom refused purchase. She said she could not spend six dollars on a plastic purse when she had groceries to buy. I was…
A Dr. Pepper Explosion and the Power of Laughter
I stood there with Dr. Pepper streaming off my face, dripping from my hair, and decorating my ceiling. I had dropped a can on the floor and it exploded all over me and my brand new kitchen. At first I…
Goodnight, House
We did it. We downsized, moved out of our home, and moved our son into an apartment — all in thirty days. Due to the significant loss of space that accompanied our downsizing, we harshly assessed the incumbent furniture and dispatched…
What is Home?
When change comes knocking, we want to go home. I remember living in a rundown house in California in which the cabinets were comprised of plyboard held together by contact paper. The bedrooms were so tiny I envied my hamster in his…
The Need for Speed
I remember the need for speed line from the movie Top Gun, and wish that I were talking about flying a jet. Instead, I am talking about this middle-aged woman obtaining enough raw energy to fuel me through downsizing, two moves,…