Spring Cleaning

One evening in the mid-90s, I sat in the balcony of McFarland Auditorium on the SMU (Southern Methodist University) campus in Dallas, listening to Paleoanthropolgist Donald Johanson. Back in the 70’s, Johanson had discovered the hominid fossil of an australopithecine...

Mother’s Day

Yesterday was Mother’s Day, a celebration honoring our mothers and motherhood. The holiday dates back to the early twentieth century when a West Virginia woman named Anna Jarvis campaigned for a day of recognition in honor of her recently deceased mother, a peace...

Both Sides Now

I’m sitting at my desk on the main floor of our mountain house at Vanaprastha when I hear the crackle of speakers connected to Keith’s desktop in the loft. That usually signals Keith is done with his serious writing for the day and is opening iTunes. Confirmation:...

Transitions

“How do you fill you time?” Mother asked as we ate lunch at the Bistro in the assisted care facility where she lives. I munched with guilty pleasure on a gooey tuna melt while Mother nibbled her cheese pizza. Perhaps she was concerned about my transition into...

Love Story

“Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Remember that line from the 1970 movie and novel by Erich Segal? Ali MacGraw’s character said it to her husband played by Ryan O’Neal, about mid-film when he started to apologize for being angry. He repeated the line at...

Devotion

After 9/11, writer Dani Shapiro, her husband journalist-turned-screenwriter Michael Maren and their young son Jacob moved from New York City to rural Connecticut. She tried to have another child, but suffered miscarriages, and now was in her forties. Jacob was...