“Mom! Where did you put the cups for my smoothie maker?!” my daughter, Anna, yelled from our basement last week while packing for her last year of college. An artsy fashion design major who considers orderliness boring, Anna was infamous in our family for losing things and accusing others of taking them. To help Anna…
self-image
A mother by any other name
Why do we name our babies before they are born? Before we know their character traits, individual personalities, propensities and proficiencies? Prior to marrying a man with a surname prone to misspellings and mispronunciations — Malarney, Mulineri, Marinara and Manicotti — my legal name was Lisa Smith. I never particularly identified with the name. It…
Space Force: One giant leap for military spouses
While Congress hashes out the details of Trump’s proposed ‘U.S. Space Force” — who will oversee it, how many personnel are needed, whether we can afford it, where will it be located — I am selfishly wondering what the future holds for the military spouse community after this 6th branch of the armed forces stands…
Have Life’s Rules Changed?
Parking my yellow convertible on the square, I read the words aloud, “’Inherit shrunken head collection. Pay $10,000 for museum to accept it.’ Aw, man!” “Quit yer whining!” my older brother snickered with sick satisfaction. No matter what game we played, he always appointed himself the banker, setting an immediate tone of domination. He snapped…
What I believe about Hell and hand baskets