There is nothing harder for me than change. Tolstoy said that, “True life is lived when tiny changes occur.” In that case, I have certainly lived a full life in the last year. In the past 13 months, I lost my last surviving parent, became an empty nester and downsized to a condo. In fact,… Continue reading Celebrating Taylor K
Author: Melissa Norton Carro
A native southerner, Melissa Norton Carro has over twenty years of experience in marketing and communications, including her own business, Norton Carro Communications. She has edited textbooks and been a non-fiction ghostwriter, as well as a regular copyeditor for Gannett Publishing. She received her Bachelor of Arts, with Honors, from Vanderbilt University, where she currently works as an Assistant Dean. Carro was a closet fiction writer for years while raising three daughters, and Mt. Moriah’s Wake is her first novel. She writes a weekly blog, In the Middle, about life in the sandwich generation and is currently working on another novel. She lives in Nashville with her husband and blue heeler mutt.
Sweet Serendipity
One of my favorite movies is the rom-com “Serendipity” in which two young New Yorkers, Jonathan and Sara, meet over a pair of gloves. Within a few minutes of witty repartee the pair feel a spark and consider whether they should be together. Because nothing is ever easy in a movie—and perhaps because young people… Continue reading Sweet Serendipity
Magnolia Redemption
Ahhh, February. Not even the hefty President’s Day sales and Valentine’s Day chocolates can perk up this month. Kudos to Julius Caesar who modified the Roman calendar in 46 B.C. to allocate fewer days to February. Perhaps Caesar, too, suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder and knew we could only take so much of the grayness,… Continue reading Magnolia Redemption
Buckets and Begonias
Today marks a year since my mom passed away. 365 days, four seasons, countless family dinners, a new baby, an emptied nest, moves and holidays. Without her. Without either parent. This past summer I was visiting my daughter in her new hometown of Bloomington, Indiana. I saw the most luscious begonias—the size of shrubs—hanging throughout… Continue reading Buckets and Begonias
Overpriced Sushi
In December, my college freshman was home for the holidays, and one Tuesday night she and my daughter who lives in town were going out for sushi. They invited me along, but I hesitated. There were a million reasons I should not go—most falling under the categories of financial or time constraints. There were leftovers… Continue reading Overpriced Sushi
Deliberate Acts of Kindness
As a child, I was the consummate worrier, and nothing disturbed me more than the thought that once Fred Rogers hung up his cardigan, he was homeless. I asked my dad if, when Mr. Rogers walked out the front door, he was on the street, and Dad explained there was actually no street and no… Continue reading Deliberate Acts of Kindness
Crazy Clocks and Long Goodbyes
The Pearsons punch me in the gut like few other television families ever have. Like so many Americans, I am captivated by the show “This is Us,” and it seems that each Tuesday I surrender a little bit more of my emotional health to it. This week the matriarch of the Pearson family, Rebecca, met… Continue reading Crazy Clocks and Long Goodbyes
Tending the Garden
For 30 years I have served on the Altar Guild at my church. Tuesday night I went to an Altar Guild meeting at a local restaurant. Dreading going out into the cold and knowing that my spirited dog Reese was waiting for me to talk a long walk in the dark, frigid night, I lingered… Continue reading Tending the Garden
Paw Prints and Clean Slates
Nothing is quite as peaceful as an empty nest. And nothing as magical as when it is not. My daughter, son-in-law and their border collie just pulled out of the driveway—away from the Christmas festivities and extended family time. Our holiday house was chaotic and loud and messy, especially with the two “cousin” dogs that… Continue reading Paw Prints and Clean Slates
Christmas Triggers
Our Christmas Eve service always opens with "O Come, All Ye Faithful," and those who know me well know that I can’t sing it. Something about the pageantry of the processional, the brass accompaniment, and my throat catches every time. I find so many of my Christmas memories and feelings attached to music. My mother… Continue reading Christmas Triggers
IN THE MIDDLE 