When you are the last of five children with a Catholic family background, chances are you’re going to have a lot of nieces and nephews. I have nine, plus six greats ages two to 12. I was only 11 myself when I first became an auntie so many of them feel more like friends, and…
Once when I was in the fifth grade, I was a complete asshole – by accident. In the way many soon-to-be middle schoolers (and youngest of five children) can behave, I am sometimes obnoxious and attention seeking. Generally, I try to stay out of my parent’s hair and spend as much time outside as possible. …
“Mom, don’t freak out but…” Over the years, I have come to appreciate this effort Jackson makes to calm me before delivering bad news. “…I fell. And I think it’s bad. There’s a woman here who is a nurse and said I need to go to the ER. Where are you?” Less than five minutes…
This is me at 15. By then, I had spent the past year working at Burger King and Hayward’s ice cream shop in my home town of Nashua, NH. To take the next step in a potential food service career, I thought I needed to work in a ‘real’ restaurant but a friend of mine…
Oh, summer! I ate your nectarine that spilled across my hand, almost too sweet to finish. I resisted the urge to buy all of your dark cherries. I used your fresh watermelon juice for my margarita. It reminded me of the huge watermelon boats my mother used to make for our family cookouts. Helping her…
Over Christmas break in 1986, I was laying on my bedroom floor, listening to New Order’s “Shellshock,” and sobbing. Heaving melodramatic sobs. The kind that prompted my sister to yell from the kitchen, “Stop being so dramatic!” I felt my tears were warranted as my boyfriend Laurent* had just informed me that he was in…
Read more 50 Stories, Week 6: My virginity, a break-up, and my BFF.
Today is my 50th birthday. Many people reach this age and start thinking about their bucket-list. A sense of urgency creeps in with the realization that there are only so many vacations left, books to read, friendships to make, and adventures to have before it’s all over. I’ve decided to share my reverse bucket-list, or…
I joined a meet-up for Stepparents. I’m not a joiner, so this was difficult for me. I like to try new things, see what sticks, but once I decide to do something with regularity (re: yoga for the last 25 years,) I end up hating the joiner culture that surrounds it. Most would call this…
Failing better. 