New Location, New Life. Who Are You Anyway? — When my husband and I moved to New York, my new job involved commuting from Long Island to the Upper West Side, where I worked as a production coordinator for ABC. For a fourth-generation Californian, this was an entirely new lifestyle. My previous commute had been a short, carefree drive…

I spent years working as a cantor/church organist in the rural parish where my children grew up. Once they left home, I remarried and moved further north into the Catskill Mountains. There, my husband and I joined another little Catholic community “up the mountain.” They already had plenty of cantors…

Listened to the song by Train, Calling All Angels. I need them close, these celestial messengers. Once you experience the exhilarating presence of angels (and realize they’ll come when you ask) you’ll call them often. When I visit my oldest child, I pray for angels to accompany me on the…

But You Are The Prize: Choose Your Weapons — You are in a battle. The prize is your soul. Demons press in hard. Are you prepared to fight back? “Choose your weapons!” my oldest grandson bellows, challenging his siblings. They love to play at sword fighting. (Coincidentally, their parents met on the fencing team in college.) I keep a…

How Sir Ernest Shakleton, Charles Dickens and Mary Howitt helped me overcome years of abuse — Growing up in the 1970s, I was a library kid. It was the only safe place to hang out after school. There were bullies at home and more bullies at school. My parents were teachers; they worked hard all day. The last thing they wanted to do was come home…

The blessings you receive, being there for someone else So much of my life is hidden. A secret club, a knowing smile, a few poignant words. I can walk up to another parent whose child/adult is going through a public meltdown and say, “My kid’s louder than yours,” and she’ll…

Until We Say “Enough” — What constitutes an emergency? A serious, unexpected event requiring immediate action. Something that constitutes an immediate risk to one’s health, life, property, and/or surroundings. A young man is bleeding profusely; he’s been stabbed or shot. An elderly woman falls in the supermarket, suffering a heart attack or stroke. There’s an…

Want A Solid Foundation To Write? What’s On Your Bedside Table? — I didn’t tell anyone I wanted to be a writer. I didn’t admit it to myself, nor to my family. Ours was a strict, military family where you did what you were told. We didn’t talk much, especially to each other. You made sure your bedsheets were pulled tight, to…

I’m Curious What His Girlfriend Thinks Of This — My ex-husband doesn’t even have email, so I doubt he’ll read this. He’s a narcissistic, gaslighting gossip and definitely not my favorite person. But it’s kind of funny, the way he’s been trying to get my attention. When someone’s trying to make you miserable, it can be very effective to…