This is my ninth Mother’s Day without my mom, the wonderfully wacky, ‘Heavy D’. The familiar ache in my heart, the rush of memories, the tearing up at Mother’s Day commercials (Damn you, Publix!) and Hallmark cards; it’s just a tough time of year for so many of us, whether from the loss of our … More Mother’s Day Thoughts and Lessons
I was using an app on my phone as a metronome in a lesson in my home studio yesterday when a message popped up from my cousin, telling me that our last living aunt, Aunt Lila, had passed away. She was the wife of Mom’s brother, Ernest; a strong woman with a wonderful laugh. My … More On Mother’s Day
It’s funny how memories can lay dormant for long periods of time and then bubble to the surface when triggered by a certain sight, sound, or smell. I was looking out onto the sunporch and the beautiful winter view of the city when suddenly I was transported to Christmas 2009, what would unknowingly be our … More A Little Christmas Memory
Even though there are several meetings and some school work left to do, the Christmas break has officially begun after the strangest semester of my long teaching career. I am always excited to get to the holidays, but this year is different. I think we all need a dose of the normalcy of holiday traditions … More A Merry Little Christmas
The day after our quiet Thanksgiving holiday, we headed to the tree lot at the Birmingham Zoo to select our Christmas tree. As inevitably happens, I went right to the tree that I knew was the one; I make Dan laugh, telling him I’m like that with husbands, dogs, and Christmas trees. It’s my super … More On a Medicinal Decorating Day
I know that I’m not alone when I say that I am emotionally exhausted- who isn’t right now? Life is so different; everything has been tinged with madness, everything seems foreign, somehow indelibly altered from all we’ve been through. It is in chaos that I look for time pieces; moments of time filled with memory … More Time Pieces
I feel battle weary, but the battle is only beginning, leaving my heart heavy in my chest. There is so much sadness and worry swirling everywhere, and today it won. I have felt blue, my thoughts sequestered, retreating into myself so much so that it was difficult to communicate even with my sweet Dan. I … More Sequestered Thoughts
Gone are the wisdom-filled words, the gentle embraces, the fiercely loyal protectors, for we are the motherless on Mother’s Day. The safety net is no longer there, that someone who knew you and loved you more than anyone possibly could. There is no treasure trove of stories about our history, our beginnings, only endings. Now … More For the Motherless on Mother’s Day
I woke up very early worrying about Dan. I hadn’t heard anything from him since late yesterday afternoon, and I knew he was going to be suffering all night with the NasoGastro procedure. If the Coronavirus is not bad enough, he is still dealing with complications from his appendectomy. Two ER trips and two hospital … More The Ties that Bind
I wonder what my mother would have thought of these strange days. A gentle Southern woman with a backbone of steel who lived through the Great Depression and WW II, along with facing countless other challenges and hardships over her ninety-two years. Would she have been moved to panic or remained calm in the storm? … More I Wonder
The View from Here 