Art and Soul
Meadow Lakes (where my mom lives) often has art shows of resident artwork. When I was there this time, there was a massive art show that covered the walls of the major hallways. The art was not from residents but …
Three Good Things
When I’m at my mom’s for a week, that’s enough time for me to settle in and for good things to happen. These were three: 1. On Roxie’s morning and evening walks, we often saw deer. Most of the time, …
Thanksgiving or Takesgiving?
[Note: This post from 2021 is repeated because it’s still relevant.] Thanksgiving? Or Takesgiving? It depends on your perspective. It depends on the story you tell yourself. If you tell yourself that Manifest Destiny is your divine right, that we …
Googling Cherry Tomatoes
My mom has become convinced that cherry tomatoes are not real tomatoes, but some genetically manufactured fake. I told her they’re just a different variety. She blew me off. I didn’t understand it. I’ve seen Mom eat cherry tomatoes. In …
We Don’t Say What We Want
My brother Eric said he wanted to surprise his birth mother. He planned to knock on her door five to ten minutes after I got there. I didn’t know if a surprise visit was a good idea for a mother …
Meeting My Brother’s Birth Mother
On Sunday (today, if you are reading this on Sunday), I will visit my brother Eric’s birth mother. There are unnamable feelings, like an oil slick on water, or a Labrador of dog hair in my chest. I try to …
An Imaginary Conversation with My Father
There are things I know now that I didn’t know back when I was 15, when my father demanded that I justify my existence. For cleansing or healing or maybe just to get it out of my system, I imagined …
Lungs & The Compass
“Your lungs are your Achilles heel. Or one of them.” The message was from a friend. We had been discussing my current bronchitis, history of asthma, two bouts of Covid. I give myself credit for surviving a Covid close call. …
Checking My Compass
There are seasons, and there are seasons of change. Right now, I’m in a season of change. After teaching at UC every Fall for five years, next Wednesday evening will be my last class. My small-group coaching program, Memoir Mastery, …
Kelp and the Old Old
Last week, after I said I felt like kelp floating in the ocean, a dear reader replied, “Kelp is very important. OK to be kelp.” She included a link to support her perspective. I learned that sea otters and kelp …