The first of a two-part essay about a strong friendship forged amidst the shared hardship of a breast cancer diagnosis. Read the essay on friendshiprules.com … [Read more...] about The Friend Who Came and Went
Essays
What to Do When Your Husband Has No Friends
Men and women seem to see friendships differently. I understand that friendships can become more complicated as our lives change, as we marry, divorce, move, change jobs, fall ill. (And increasingly as we age, friends can pass on.) That’s why I now focus more than ever on nurturing the friendships I have as well as making new ones. But I worry about my husband, who seems to have no friends right … [Read more...] about What to Do When Your Husband Has No Friends
How Being a Cancer Survivor Helps Me Cope With Coronavirus Fears
When you’re diagnosed with cancer, one of the worst things about it, aside from the obvious countless physical ramifications, is the emotional upheaval it causes. The raw feelings of vulnerability. The absolute terror of knowing that your body has betrayed you. The desire to close yourself off, make yourself as small as possible and hide inside an impenetrable antiseptic bubble of safety. Read … [Read more...] about How Being a Cancer Survivor Helps Me Cope With Coronavirus Fears
7 Ways to Own Your Age
“What do you see when you look in the mirror, Nana?” She closed the oven, slowly stood, then turned and looked at me quizzically, brushing away a stray hair that had fallen over her eyes. “Well … when I look in the mirror, I see … my face, of course,” she said matter-of-factly. Frustrated by not getting the response I was after, I wanted to say more. But being so young, I lacked the ability … [Read more...] about 7 Ways to Own Your Age
Learning to Deal With Pain
The other day, the sun was shining and the temperatures cooperating beautifully. After too many days of relentless rain (although I am loving the abundant lushness resulting from all that moisture!) I decided to take a break from my desk and bike into town to pick up some lunch. Since moving last year, and trading our apartment in the third-largest city in Connecticut for a bucolic town - our … [Read more...] about Learning to Deal With Pain
Why I Chose To Have A Prophylactic Mastectomy
Angelina Jolie was not the only one to choose a prophylactic mastectomy. I did, too — but for different reasons... Read the full essay on BetterAfter50.com … [Read more...] about Why I Chose To Have A Prophylactic Mastectomy
Stretching Toward Light
Daylight savings time, April 1989. Huddled in my warm house reading a book to my two sons, three-year-old Jonathan perched on my right knee... Read the full article on BRAIN, CHILD. … [Read more...] about Stretching Toward Light
Fourth Floor
The fourth floor always smelled…Like chemicals. It assaulted her the moment she stepped off the elevator onto the faded, hard linoleum... Read the full essay on JAMA. … [Read more...] about Fourth Floor
Dancing on Grapes
On a clear, starry May evening, a local book club is learning a lot about wine. Tucked away in Laura Callahan’s appealing home deep... Read the full essay here. … [Read more...] about Dancing on Grapes