When I was little my uncle George (who always gave very unique gifts) gave my brother and me some really cool kaleidoscopes for Christmas. I spent the entire trip back from their house in Jersey twisting the lens and making new designs with the tiny flecks of plastic inside. I would pass it to my …Read More
I am driving the kids to the Pocono Mountains, a few hours from where we live, for a last summer hurrah of sorts of zip lining and horseback riding. It’s early September and the leaves are showing a tinge of fall color. Checking the rear view mirror, I catch a glimpse of one of my …Read More
The family holiday dinner scene from August: Osage County. Seinfeld’s Festivis Airing of Grievances. The dinner scene from American Beauty. The scene from A Christmas Story where their holiday dinner gets eaten by the dogs. The scene from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Why do we have so many hilarious movie scenes regarding family get togethers? …Read More
“This too shall pass, Heather.” I repeated this mantra to myself just like Rain Man. I would come to truly appreciate my mother’s finest words of wisdom as I lay on the couch wreaking of baby puke with a t-shirt saturated with breast milk, overly frustrated with my nursing difficulties and fighting back involuntary tears …Read More
My phone dings. Normally I don’t look while in the car, but I am at a red light. It’s an old friend delivering some terrible news. Her 14-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with cancer. I pull over as tears spring to my eyes blurring the roadway. I am filled with sadness and concern for her …Read More
Flashback to my crappy, dismal, shoebox of a therapy room so many years ago when I was just starting out. I’m contemplating just how much I hate that the walls here are not mine to decorate. I am tossed from one impersonal depressing beige office to another at this job, serving my time as a …Read More
My daughter’s musical.ly video app has my jaw dropped. Her newest thing, while seemingly harmless, still requires parental monitoring. I mean, I know she loves singing and dancing, so why would I suppress those things and her desire to share with “friends”? But let’s get back to the jaw drop. I don’t even recognize the …Read More
I have feet that bear the scars of a ballet dancer. From the ages of three to seventeen, I spent hours on end at the dance studio. My body is still accustomed to motion. It craves it. I require movement…it’s almost as if a little piece of me dies when I am not moving. …Read More
Africa. A magical land I would dream of visiting as a child—dreams that were fueled by trips to The Franklin Institute and periodic episodes of National Geographic. It seemed surreal to actually be here with my family and friends after 30 hours of travel. Day one: we are loading our girls into the Land Rovers …Read More
You know her. She’s really judgmental. She thinks your thighs are too big and she mocks your stretch marks. She compels you to squint into magnifying mirrors and cringes at the idea of public speaking. She thinks you suck at small talk and that you are an impatient parent. She is particularly vicious maybe a …Read More
