“Mommy, I can’t sleep.” How many times did my daughter quietly awaken me as a young child with those four words? Her tiny voice punctured the fog of slumber as my mind would straddle dueling thoughts; I’m going to be so exhausted at work tomorrow…. At least I get to catch up on snuggles with Emi.. We would stumble down the hall to her room, climb into her bed, and I’d drape my arms around her sweet little body while stroking her halo of curls. I always marveled at how… Read more July 4th, Highland Park, IL. →
“When will I have fun again?” I asked my older sister a few weeks after giving birth to my first child. She was three years into motherhood and pregnant with her second, so I was relying on her sage wisdom. “Eighteen years.” she said without a hint of sarcasm or levity. That did it. The tears I had been choking down spilled freely like an freshly unclogged faucet. 18 years? 18 years? I am responsible for this human for 18 years? What have I done? I’m never going to have… Read more Why the Last Six Weeks Before My Oldest Goes to College Feels Oddly Familiar →
I can’t believe the day has finally arrived. What should I wear? No, I can’t wear that, they saw me in that shirt last month. Where are my pants with a zipper? I better leave enough time to do my hair…. Anticipation surges through me every four weeks when I hop in my car and drive to the podiatrist. Having a rare autoimmune disease, I’ve essentially been under house arrest since last March. My one thrill is venturing out to have calcium deposits scraped off the tips of my toes.… Read more Stumbling Upon Hope →
This piece was Cowritten by Dr. Jim O’Malley Having taught for 24 years, I thought I had seen it all. But nothing could have prepared me for teaching through a… Read more Weathering the Covid-19 Storm, One Student at a Time →
I can’t recall if my head hit the porcelain slab before or after my legs slid out from under me. All I remember was the steady cascade of crimson blood… Read more My Face Looks the Way the World Feels →
via Having Been on a Ventilator, I’d Like to Sit This Pandemic Out
There’s a photo of me in an adorable yellow bikini. My platinum blonde locks glisten in the sunlight, perfectly contrasting my golden tan. I’m posing poolside with a radiant smile… Read more Tales from an Unlikely Beach Babe: Calling a Truce in My Battle with Swimsuits →
My past Mother’s Day blogs have focused on singular aspects of motherhood. I’ve dug into how my dysfunctional childhood shaped me as a parent, the challenges of motherhood, the simultaneous… Read more Celebrating the Messiness of Motherhood →
Comfortable In My Thick Skin 