“Your fuel level is low. Would you like to navigate to the nearest gas station?” an unfamiliar male voice called out. I glanced at the other seats in my new car, but I was entirely alone. Then I saw the words displayed across my vehicle’s digital screen. My car was talking to me. More…
Middle-Age
Boarding school scholarships offer military children uninterrupted education
April, the Month of the Military Child, reminds me of both challenges and opportunities faced by my own military children. “Annabanana, knock ÔÇÿem dead,” I said when I dropped my daughter off for her first day of 10th grade after we moved to Rhode Island. A typical Navy brat, Anna knew all about being the…
Autism Awareness: What a difference two decades make
In 1998, our son, Hayden, was diagnosed with “atypical autism.” After recovering from the shock, my husband and I inundated ourselves with information, desperate to provide our thee-year-old boy with whatever might help him lead a relatively normal life. We embarked on a home therapy program called “Floortime,” a type of play therapy developed by…
College admissions scam aside, kids should feel good enough
Back in 1983, I showed up for my SAT test with two number two pencils and a pack of gum. The night before, I talked to my best friend on the phone for two hours, but never cracked a book. I don’t think there were test prep books back in those days. Besides, we figured…
What I believe about Hell and hand baskets