I’m on the edge of 55, teetering so close that if I peer forward to see over my toes I’ll tumble. Young Ilina might have felt that I’d be going over the edge by this point in my life. I mean, 55! Is this where they say that more of my life is behind me than ahead of me? That’s a … [Read more...] about Age Old Advice
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Happy 19th Birthday, Bird!
Happy Birthday, Bird! I carried you literally, and I'll carry you always. I made the mistake of listening to the playlist I made you for your high school graduation. Loves Me Like a Rock came on, and I got teary. I’ve always been a weepy person, but motherhood has really … [Read more...] about Happy 19th Birthday, Bird!
Dear Deal on Your 16th Birthday
Dear Deal, I write this on a cloudy day as I remember the morning you were born 16 years ago, sunny side up. You always hate when I say that. You’re a teenage boy, and I’m a 50-something mom, so you pretty much hate everything I say. But that doesn’t stop me from saying stuff … [Read more...] about Dear Deal on Your 16th Birthday
A New Year’s Eve Whine
The year was 2003. I was five months pregnant with Bird. We had bought and renovated an 80-something year old house. We were planting roots.And then I got laid off from my job at an advertising agency. Funny how it's so easy to fire a pregnant woman, yet it's a stretch to hire … [Read more...] about A New Year’s Eve Whine