It was a mistake to watch the last episode of the final season of Never Have I Ever on the eve of my son’s high school graduation as he prepares to move 3000 miles away across the country in his evolution from Enloe Eagle to Oregon Duck. I am left wondering how my own parents … [Read more...] about Class of 2023 – The Real Deal
sons
Just Let Me Take the Pictures
Dear Deal, In this season of new beginnings, just let me take the pictures. You squirm with visible impatience while irritation brims over, but understand that as you, forever my baby boy, close doors behind you, I am left in the wake of a new normal. And it’s exactly the … [Read more...] about Just Let Me Take the Pictures
Reliably Unconditional Love or Unconditionally Reliable Love
How do I show I love to my sons? There are so many ways. Showing up and being someone my teens can rely on is chief among them. Take a few minutes to watch this snippet about one way I showed up when my son needed me. And yes, it was a proud mom moment to support kids who … [Read more...] about Reliably Unconditional Love or Unconditionally Reliable Love
My Thanksgiving Wish. Again.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. I wrote an essay about this concept as a writing prompt in high school, and the sentiment pops into my head every so often. Today is one of those days. This is becoming a tradition, I guess. I originally wrote this in … [Read more...] about My Thanksgiving Wish. Again.
Thanks, Teachers
Thirteen years in our wonderful public school system went out in a sputter as my oldest son closed a tab to end his last day of classes his senior year. He remarked how anticlimactic it was, a disappointing end to a difficult year. The class of 2021 demonstrated equal parts grit … [Read more...] about Thanks, Teachers
The Letter the Stanford Rapist’s Father Meant to Write
The media and my own personal circles alike, are brimming with outrage and incredulity of the Brock Turner case. He's the Stanford rapist. Any other title he had he traded in when he raped an unconscious girl behind a dumpster. Yet here in North Carolina we worry about bathroom … [Read more...] about The Letter the Stanford Rapist’s Father Meant to Write