Most of the “crimes” for which I apologize are not crimes at all—they are apologies for simply going about my business in ways that are necessary. Not too long ago, I was checking my office mailbox for the snail-mail that I sometimes receive. My mailbox is located in a common area, along with everyone else’s […]
For many women, constant reminders that they aren’t pregnant aren’t just annoying—they can be downright cruel. When I got married, I was shocked at how quickly people started asking me when I was going to have a baby. And when I did have a baby a few years later, I expected a fairly lengthy reprieve […]
The love for what I’ve lost magnifies the love for what is now. Every day as I love this baby in my lap, I think of my other baby. Poor older brother, poor missing one…The love for the first magnifies the love for the second, and vice versa. – Elizabeth McCracken, An Exact Replica of […]
I see beauty for what it is: a mirage and a distraction. Who can forget that famous Pantene commercial of the ‘80s with Kelly LeBrock leaning into the camera, swinging her magnificent tresses, and pouting: “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.” I didn’t hate her because she was beautiful—I hated her for bragging about something […]
How could I both comfort and clarify on a subject that was not only distressing and mysterious, but was such a personal stumbling block for me? This past week, I dug a grave. It was a tiny one—just rat-sized—to bury our family pet. It was, in fact, the second such plot I had to prepare […]
Over these last nine months I have pumped everywhere from storage closets to bathrooms. My first foray back to the office after giving birth came just nine days after my son was born. I was still on maternity leave, technically. But I needed to be present for something that couldn’t wait. I hadn’t had the […]
When I really stopped to listen, I was shocked and disgusted by the amount of negativity I was firing at myself, without even noticing it, all day long. I was never fond of the sound of my own voice, but the moment his ears hit the air, my son loved it. I would sing to […]
Not every bridge is worth maintaining; and some bridges can be rebuilt. I recently reached out to my former boss who fired me from my first college internship 14 years ago. After a few emails back and forth, and in the most amazing, fortuitous, weird twist of fate, we are working together again; not in that […]
