I am my sister’s keeper. Her guardian, her advocate, her ally and proudly, I am her best friend. Given her many disabilities I learned as a child that despite Lisa’s status as my older sister, she needed me to rise to be her protector. Our relationship has changed as we’ve watched life unfold but the … More I Love Her Better…Now That She’s Gone
Nine years ago tomorrow my 79-year-old dad got on a bike to get a little exercise, was three blocks from home when he collided with a car, suffered blunt force trauma to his neck, and then died almost instantly. There have been many times I’ve wanted to change the reality of that description above. Sometimes … More Gratitude versus Greed
I have a neighbor with whom I’ve bonded because she’s trying to get pregnant via in-vitro fertilization (IVF). As a cancer survivor, she and her husband haven’t been able to start a family without fertility intervention. She correctly guessed that as a single-mom, I must have had help to create my family. So she’s shared … More The Courage to Try
I love musing about the symbolism of rain and raindrops. I wrote about my sweet sister’s love of the B.J. Thomas song, “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” a while back. Lisa is one of the most courageous humans I know as she navigates complicated memories of love and loss – mixed-up recollections from her head … More Inspired by Raindrops
Image by Jordan Benton by Pexels. Sweat dripped down my back. I told myself that it was from the many trips my parents and I had walked up and down the stairs in the summer sun, lugging my bags from the car to my college dorm room. I knew better though. I was nervous about … More Sink or swim moments
When my mom recently replied to me with a sentence starting, “You must understand,” my attention suddenly focused. Understanding my mom has always been harder for me than it was to relate to my dad. He and I shared the same big picture approach to life. Whereas my mom is so much more detail-oriented that … More The Courage to Ask Questions
I saw a sweet father-daughter moment the other day as a new driver slowly circled an empty parking lot with her father (I presumed) riding along – pointing and directing as they swooped and turned and practiced parking, reversing and cornering. I smiled as I passed them and thought about my dad, Sonny, and what … More Courage Behind the Wheel
The other night, we were snuggled up at bedtime, when eight-year-old Miss O said, “I asked all my friends at recess to play with me and they all said, ‘no.’” Four-year-old, Mr. D hadn’t shown any sign he was tracking until he chimed in with, “Amelia [one of his classmates] says I can’t follow directions.” … More Congratulations for Staying In The Game
I’m going to tell a less-than-flattering story about myself. A reminder to anyone who thinks life with Vicki might be all sunshine and rainbows. Oh, good gosh, no. Whether it’s control related or my potent ego, always thinking I know best, I can be a real pain in the posterior (and isn’t THAT a fine … More Mum About Mums
It’s always amazed me that my parents moved their young family to the Philippines in 1970. They had kids that were 6 years-old, 4 years-old and I was 6 months-old and they moved to SE Asia in the middle of the Vietnam War. But they described the US at that time as feeling as if … More The Courage to Not Be Divisive
The Heart of the Matter 