How a 4th grade science project taught me to write about the moon. October 1, 2010 | 3:30 pm | Last Quarter Phase My daughter arrives home from school with a slim notebook covered with photos that represent the night — owls, a gibbous moon cut from white paper, a…

On having faith, and giving permission to let go — “How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again.” — Henry Scott Holland Dear Mom, The light is different here. If you saw how this place shines, I think you’d stop worrying about me. The light connects the landscape to every part of itself. It moves…

According to the American Cancer Society, about 600 adolescents, aged 15 to 19, die from cancer each year. In 2017, my daughter, Ana, was one of them. Ana was sick for four and a half years. During most of that time, even as her cancer progressed, I didn’t think that…

In the empty nest support group I found on Facebook, the parents are sad or they are angry or they are confused. But some are relieved. Some are content. Some are thrilled because they have the time and the means to travel or renovate or explore a new interest. Some…

It seems to me, looking in from the outside, that high school has been all about big achievements. It was four years of pushing you relentlessly forward, even in the midst of a global pandemic. …

I wonder what she sees now. I wonder what she’s trying to tell me? She’s not coming back. At first, I counted her death in days, then weeks, then months — now it’s been years. I marked each turn of the moon with small changes, tears, and disbelief that another…

A dead child doesn’t make a Christmas list. She doesn’t want French toast on Saturday morning or beg for one more goodnight hug. There is nothing to be done for her — even if her laundry needs washing, even if her homework is unfinished, even if the soft chenille socks…

Last Wednesday, in the filtered light of a perfect spring morning, I sat on my porch, drank my coffee and thought about afters. On the previous day, 21 people — 19 children and 2 teachers — had been killed in yet another school shooting. …

My daughter, Ana, had many dying wishes when she was 15, but topping her list of wants was a puppy. And not just any puppy. Ana wanted a tiny dog, the kind that fits inside a teacup. She’d always loved tiny things, plus she was a bit afraid of dogs. …