Tag: 2007

The mother of Mother’s Day

I was up late last night, pondering the meaning of Mother’s Day. I learned this, from National Geographic: It all started in the 1850s, when West Virginia women’s organizer Ann Reeves Jarvis held Mother’s Day work clubs to improve sanitary conditions and try to lower infant mortality by fighting disease and curbing milk contamination, according to … read more The mother of Mother’s Day

Day 83: On the wind

Happy Birthday, Mom. You’d have been 92 today… but I think you don’t mind that you’re not here blowing out candles today. Because now you are an unfettered free spirit, after a lifetime in a conflicted body. For someone born in Monroeville, Ohio in 1923, you did pretty good. You loved music … it’s how you got through … read more Day 83: On the wind

Day 54: Katy DID

I used to think that thunderous noise at night was cicadas, but I learned that it was katydids. Yes, those sweet-faced insects that look like a leaf. When there are thousands of them, they start to talk in rhythm, call-and-response. Some people think their debate goes: “Katy DID!” “Katy DIDN’T!” Whatever they are arguing about, it’s intense. … read more Day 54: Katy DID

Day 48: The tiles of oppression

Dad used to joke that it cost $3,000 to have our living room curtains cleaned. After they were dry-cleaned, the newly bright curtains made the rest of the room look dingy. A few months later, they’d bought new furniture, installed wall-to-wall carpet, and bought a TV with a hardwood cabinet. (You could do all that … read more Day 48: The tiles of oppression

Day 17: Pennies from Dad

I’ve had a struggle the past few days with a tooth that’s gone bad and is throbbing with pain. I’m facing a huge dental bill that will wipe out my entire health savings account. This was making me feel poor and helpless and old, though I am not any of those things. I was just … read more Day 17: Pennies from Dad