My recollection is that Thanksgiving is usually a joyful time for me, full of gratitude for the many blessings in my life. When I was feeling sad and out-of-sorts on Thanksgiving this year, my husband pointed out to me that I usually go through a period of sadness around this holiday each year, much to…
I am trying to process my thoughts and feelings about what happened in Ferguson last night. I do not usually watch the news and try to steer clear of negativity. But I watched the footage and all I felt was sadness. These events in Ferguson have been so polarizing. There is so much anger, hate,…
My 7th grader developed a bad habit this school year: not bringing his book bag home from school. It started out innocently enough, leaving it in his locker on Fridays because he had no homework over the weekend. Then with my “systems-thinking” son, it morphed quickly into not bringing it home on any days he…
5:00 p.m. on Halloween Night: “I HATE HALLOWEEN!I wish I could just cancel it and send you all to bed at 5:30 pm!” I shouted. I have not screamed at my 12 year old son like that for several years. And I felt like a jerk. As he tried to explain to me what he…
I coach my 7 year old son’s soccer team. We have a boy on the team (not my son) who is exceptionally talented and athletic; he is a fantastic soccer player. I have watched this young boy play for several years now and he is really good. For the first two games at the beginning…
This week, my best friend from childhood (and her daughter) came to spend a few days with us. Each summer when we get together, I get excited and look forward to our time spent together, and this week was no exce…ption. The first night, my friend was putting her daughter to bed, and I was…
