Some Thoughts on a Midlife Birthday

Some Thoughts on a Midlife Birthday

On September 20th I turn forty-something. This birthday I’m contemplating past celebrations. Birthdays were small-big in my childhood home. We made a huge deal out of our birthdays by a single, small gesture – buying a cake with bright pink or purple or...
Diwali: Always Looking for the Light

Diwali: Always Looking for the Light

I held the sparkler in my hand, a firework of sharp lights angling toward the sky. The smell of cashew curry, rising dough and the mixture of saffron, cinnamon and sugar dotted the air. Shouts of “Happy Diwali” erupted everywhere.  The streets flooded with...

Nine and a Half

I purposely delayed writing this post since it shifts my gaze toward the quick passage of time. Last week, my daughter turned nine and a half – a milestone before she turns double-digits in January. Her long limbs stretch over the sofa and when I try lift her...

You Have to Find What Matters Most to You

I have a confession to make. I am wasting time. These five words rattle in my head like coins in a pocket. I hear the clang, but fail to remedy my inaction. Like all conflicts, I search for a source. Maybe it is the arrival of March that pushes buried emotions to the...
The Gaps Cannot Be Filled

The Gaps Cannot Be Filled

As February winds down, I am confronted with the birth of March. It is a month that presents a paradox – the arrival of Spring, but the anniversary of my father’s death. This year will mark six years since we lost him. There are days that I still struggle...