People were shocked that I would give up being childless and supposedly free to do anything I wanted to raise my late sister’s four children. However, making the sacrifices of time, money, and love was the best decision of my life. I was headed to an early grave, drinking beer and playing cards all day.... Continue Reading →
Can We Ever Completely Give Up on Our Children?
Being a parent is a hard job, even when our children become adults. It isn't a part of your life that you can retire from doing. Instead, parenting becomes a different enterprise as our children age and the ability to influence their decision-making processes diminishes. This is particularly true for mothers, and I can only... Continue Reading →
I Forgot that My Children Don’t Owe Me Anything
Last Sunday, my daughter told me that my youngest son and his family would be visiting the area, and that he had called her to say that he was coming to see her. I told her that I hadn't been told of his imminent visit. Then I forgot about it, due to my recent hospitalization.... Continue Reading →
A Tribute to Eloise!
You weren't like any other mother in the neighborhood. That caused me some embarrassment, for I wanted you to imitate the moms I saw on television, who, ironically, were white. Your quiescent moods seemed so unmaternal to my teenage mind, so I was too embarrassed to invite people to our home. Yes, you were an... Continue Reading →
Making the Decision to Parent or Not to Parent
I wrote a fictional story last week from one of the many prompts I follow on a woman who did not want children because of having helped raise her younger siblings. I based the story on a real-life decision made by two people that I know, one of them a grandson. Both guys had decided... Continue Reading →
A Quartet of Lovable Imps
They were such beautiful children, and I loved to be in their presence. But, usually I entertained them, and then I went home, leaving them to my sister to calm down and get them to bed. I felt no guilt, for I was their aunt, and it was my job to be the good guy... Continue Reading →
It’s a Fact, Jack!
Commentators say that today people do not change their minds on issues, even when presented with the "facts." What is a fact? It is a statement that is indisputably the case, meaning a reality or a certainty. So, I started to think about some statements that I believe are indisputably real and certain. Here is... Continue Reading →
Feed One End, and Wipe the Other
All I knew about taking care of children when I became a mother to my sister's four children was that you feed one end, and you wipe the other, and you never get the two places confused! It's true that there are no manuals that help new mothers, whether you are having one child or... Continue Reading →
What If We Could Choose Our Parents?
A picture I saw on another blog site of a father congratulating his daughter on an award started me to reflecting on the question of what if we could choose our parents. What would be the criteria we would use to decide who would be the perfect fit each of us. It is downright intriguing... Continue Reading →
Help from Heaven 