I’m eight years old and walking into my family’s apartment. Inside my boots my toes are numb from my five-block trek home from school. Not much warmer inside; our landlord isn’t too generous with heat, even in the middle of January. My face feels stiff from the cold, but I smile seeing my mom walking […]
Few Ingredients, Many Comforts Read More »
Every month in her now discontinued print publication, O magazine, Oprah Winfrey wrote a column, “What I Know for Sure.” Here, she shared how her life experiences led to discovering what she now knew for sure. At a certain point in life, it becomes easier to weed out the superficial, the stuff that doesn’t add
What I Know for Sure Read More »
Every New Year’s Eve, as long as I can remember, included watching the giant glitzy ball descend in New York City’s Times Square. Palpable excitement built as the minutes ticked toward 12 o’clock. Family, friends, and often, neighbors squeezed into one tiny apartment or another to celebrate the arrival of a new year. As midnight
Welcoming 365 Fresh Canvases Read More »
What would I give, or give up, to go back to those hours, those days before January 20, 2019? Back to the time when my dear friend Don was still alive, still present in this life, and mine. To be celebrating with him today, on what should be another of his birthdays. When you think back
His Birthday Today… If Only Read More »
Ever wonder how and when the mischief and reverie of October 31 got its start? Halloween, along with some other modern-day celebrations and holidays, is rooted in ancient traditions and customs, specifically the Celtic festival of Samhain. The origin of Halloween can be traced to the Celtic peoples who settled in Britain and central Europe
Beyond Candy and Costumes Read More »
One writing prompt assignment given in my nonfiction writing group was to tell a story using only three-word sentences. My instructor shared that she often used this prompt when writer’s block threatened. I chose a timeline format for these sentence snippets to reflect on a specific decade of my life. This was originally written in
Writing Prompt: 3-Word Sentences Read More »
Grandparents Day, celebrated in the U.S. on the first Sunday after Labor Day, is on September 10 this year. Internationally recognized on the fourth Sunday of July, when in 2021, Pope Francis declared World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. Whether celebrated in July or September, Grandparents Day deserves its due. If you are/were fortunate
They Made Me What I Am Today Read More »
So, it’s September and back to school is on the horizon. With that, a memory of one such event in my life. Seeing the 18- and 19-year-old baby faces in my first FIT design class highlighted every one of my adult years. Any enthusiasm for returning to school took a nosedive as I thought of
“But Ma, he followed me home.” I looked up at my mother, my eyes, and voice pleading, already knowing in my eight-year-old bones she wasn’t buying it. Her lips pressed into a thin line; she watched the stray mutt lope over to our dog’s food dish. About the size of a miniature pony, the brown dog
Thankfully, the humidity of the past week had dissipated by the Saturday I showed up to my first session of community oyster gardening. Gloves in hand, I and 11 other volunteers were ready to start this new adventure. Martha, the program manager, described what we’d be doing over the next hour or so. Sunlight lit
How Do You Grow an Oyster? Read More »
