There was a time when I was moon, sun, and stars to my boys. Their days began and ended with me: a morning hug around the neck, a goodnight kiss in the dark. It was exhausting, but it was also gloriously uncomplicated. These days their need for me grows more nuanced by the hour. I…
Tag: childhood
Throwing Punches: Why Kids Sometimes Need to Fight Back
Years ago my husband told me a story about the one fist-fight he got into on the schoolyard asphalt. There were insults and threats and while not quite pistols at dawn, an assignation by the lockers at 3–or something to that effect. My husband is a big man, in stature as well as heart, but despite his…
Dear Middle Schoolers
Dear Middle Schoolers, I admit it. I’m a sappy grown-up. I weep every time I watch E.T. and get choked up during graduation ceremonies. That scene in Toy Story when the Mom is getting ready to send her son off to college? Just. Don’t. Hell, a decent marching band can open the floodgates sometimes. So it’s…
The Other 1%
Nothing’s gonna happen, Mom. Don’t worry. It’s a constant refrain from my children, especially as they get older. They are most probably right. 99% of the time, they are probably right. But I’m a mother. I worry about the other 1%. It started early in pregnancy when I worried my son was epileptic. It turns out he…
Wine and Cheese (Doodles) 