One of the most difficult parts of the middle years is losing your personal saints—those contemporaries of your parents to whom you always looked up. This week I, and our church, lost three. C.S. Lewis wrote that, “How monotonously alike all the great tyrants and conquerors have been; how gloriously different are the saints." Lewis… Continue reading Footsteps Down the Aisle
Category: Generations
The Purge
One year ago, when my husband and I became official empty nesters, we began emptying our nest. On a hot August Sunday we took our youngest daughter to college, then drove home to finish packing up our house, in preparation for our move to a condo later that week. Because we’re over-achievers/naïve/stupid (choose the adjective),… Continue reading The Purge
The Other Baby
Twenty seven years ago, my husband and I checked into Vanderbilt University Hospital to have our first baby. I was two weeks overdue and so my obstetrician finally, thankfully, offered to induce. I guess Anna was just too comfortable to emerge into the dark, loud, scary world. At that point, in the early 90s, hospitals… Continue reading The Other Baby
Play it again
Of all the things I’ve missed during the COVID quarantine—family gatherings, movies, hugs—I think I’ve missed music the most. Oh, I have quite the CD collection and so recorded music has remained part of my day, but Pandora is no substitute for live music and especially choirs. I believe the universe still owes me a… Continue reading Play it again
Double Rainbows
I’ve never thought myself particularly superstitious, although surely some myths portending bad luck have passed down from my grandmothers to me. I’m always quick to move a hat I see lying on the bed, pick up only pennies that are heads up, and never walk under ladders. I’m covering my bases, just in case. On… Continue reading Double Rainbows
The Drawing Board
For as long as I can remember, in the rec room of my parents’ house stood a drawing board. My father, an architectural draftsman, was one of the last members of a trade which has segued to CAD and computers. My dad still did meticulous plans by hand and was sought after for his precision… Continue reading The Drawing Board
Silver Tea Sets
Once upon a time. The way all great stories start. The year was 1952 and finally the bitter winter in Landsberg, Germany had surrendered to summer, although for the girl from Tennessee it was not like any summer she had ever experienced. If she were home, she’d be pulling frozen coca-colas out of the icebox… Continue reading Silver Tea Sets
In a Patch of Sunlight
The gorgeous Green Hills library, rebuilt in 2000, was a weekly destination for Mom and me. During this period of home isolation, I have had a lot (too much?) of time to ponder, and I’ve been thinking about my mom a great deal—on two fronts. First of all, my mother, a self-acclaimed germ-a-phobe, would be… Continue reading In a Patch of Sunlight
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
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
IN THE MIDDLE 