Dear Neighbor, Twenty-eight years ago, a miracle happened when a child was born. When you think about everything that must occur prior to any birth, the precise nature of so many scientific details, every delivery is miraculous. When I began writing this post, I realized that twenty-eight years ago, at the exact same hour, I was timing and logging contractions … Read More
Ask Annah: What Can I Do With All This Survivor’s Guilt?
Dearest Neighbor, First, let me to tell you how sorry I am for your losses, for not only are you facing the death of someone you care about, you may also be experiencing other losses like the loss of emotional security, loss of dreams and hopes, and loss of companionship, to name a few. Survivor’s guilt stems from so many … Read More
Shoring Up Life’s Threads
“I’m glad to hear you are alright. Karen’s husband died last night so at least there is some good news. It’s been bad all morning.” That was the note returned to me after I texted a coworker to let her know how my surgery went last Friday. The message stayed with me, even through the grogginess of anesthesia … Read More
Children Face Life’s Irony, Paradox, and Tragedy
I am the type of person who ranks honesty as one of my top values. I’m the type of person who doesn’t pussyfoot around any subject, even those like vaginas, penes, and death. I’ve tried to parent the same way, being open, honest, and answering my children’s questions as age-appropriately as I could. I’ve been direct in letting them know … Read More