I never did cozy up to being 47. Tomorrow ushers in my 48th year so I guess it’s too late to get used to being 47 now. Everyone who knows me knows that I LOVE my birthday. I have no shame in aging. It’s a privilege, really. They say the wrinkles bring wisdom. So far I’m feeling … [Read more...] about 5:00 Fridays TM – Birthday Clink
children
Happy 13th Birthday, Bird!
I was a rotten teenager. I believe in karma. That means that beginning today, my life is about to become infinitely more challenging. Today Bird has entered the kingdom of teens. Today, Bird is 13. He was a lad of four when I started chronicling our lives and opining on … [Read more...] about Happy 13th Birthday, Bird!
Pay Attention & Be an Ally
Here's what I'd like to see more of: Noting when things are happening in places that don't intersect with our comfort zones. Just because something doesn't affect us directly doesn't mean we shouldn't care. By all means, it doesn't mean we shouldn't at least pay attention. We … [Read more...] about Pay Attention & Be an Ally
Community Comes Together to Support Backpack Buddies
There is nothing more beautiful than a community coming together to help its own. The world has been brimming with sad news of late. Here in North Carolina the tales from Jones Street continue to be the stuff of nightmares. It's all the more heart wrenching when our state's … [Read more...] about Community Comes Together to Support Backpack Buddies
I Want You to Hear More About Hearing Loss
When I was pregnant (both times), I was what doctors called “advanced maternal age.” That’s a pretty uplifting way to begin a pregnancy. I faced a battery of tests, and in just a year plus between pregnancies, there seemed to be even more tests and areas for concern. There were … [Read more...] about I Want You to Hear More About Hearing Loss
Words of Wisdom from a Child
In my estimation, there's never been a time more than now that the world needs hope and peace and encouragement. I live down the hill from an elementary school, so the sounds of encouragement ring through my windows as the classes roll through recess each day. The giggles and … [Read more...] about Words of Wisdom from a Child
The Letter the Stanford Rapist’s Father Meant to Write
The media and my own personal circles alike, are brimming with outrage and incredulity of the Brock Turner case. He's the Stanford rapist. Any other title he had he traded in when he raped an unconscious girl behind a dumpster. Yet here in North Carolina we worry about bathroom … [Read more...] about The Letter the Stanford Rapist’s Father Meant to Write