Finding my game at midlife
Have you ever had one of those days? Maybe not a day worthy of posting to the FML website, but one that reminds you of the children's book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day? Monday was like that for me. By the time the day ended, I couldn't isolate anything that I'd call ... [Continue Reading]
Phew, it's done. My son submitted his first college application this week. He still has more applications to complete before January 1, but getting that first one done is a big accomplishment. Especially because turning in an "early application" usually means you have to fill out the Common App, ... [Continue Reading]
First day of school photo Yesterday I took my last "first day of school" photo. I have thirty-nine such photos, thirteen of each child. I've stashed them in various places around my house or on the hard drive of my computer. But yesterday's was the last one. The final picture I would take of my ... [Continue Reading]
Today my incomparable daughter turns twenty. It sounds trite to say, "I was there when you were born." But I was, actually. Where did two decades go? I can see the passage of time in the wrinkles on my own face, but it seems like such a short while ago that I was pushing a ... [Continue Reading]
Despite magnificent weather, gorgeous scenery and the company of three of my four favorite people (our daughter wasn’t there), I still struggled over “unplugging” from the Internet in order to enjoy our family’s trip to Yosemite last weekend. I knew from past trips that cellular coverage ... [Continue Reading]
Today my last child takes his last SAT. He took it earlier this year, and conventional wisdom suggests taking it a second time can help you improve your scores, but you need to be careful about giving the appearance on your college applications that you've taken it "too many" times. Meaning you ... [Continue Reading]
Greetings from Puerto Vallarta! I came here for the long weekend with my college kids and my son's girlfriend. We're staying at a property we used to enjoy when it was operated by Hoteles Camino Real, a high-end Mexican chain similar to Westin. But several years back the property changed hands and ... [Continue Reading]
I was struck by this article by Rob Johnson, printed in yesterday's Wall Street Journal . Headlined "Point. Set. Match. I Lose.", the story concerned how Johnson, an avid amateur tennis player in Orlando, Florida, became disillusioned with his career as a journalist and decided to gain certification ... [Continue Reading]
My father died on April 8 at age 84. His obituary gives facts about his life, but the truth of a person's legacy lies in his character. The following post is the text of the eulogy I gave at his memorial service on April 16. Our father was the fourth of six children, the last of his siblings ... [Continue Reading]
I’m 50 years old today. Some of my friends assumed I was 50 a while ago, others have teased me by asking, “Are you ever going to turn 50 and catch up to the rest of us?” and of course my daughter is happy to name other moms who are older than me but look younger. Now that I’ve arrived, ... [Continue Reading]
