CONNECTING HEARTS THROUGH WORDS
May 14, 1985 Dad died in the hospital today. Why, why, why, why, why? Why wasn't I taken instead? Mom, Karen, and the boys could live fine without me. How will any of us survive without Dad? June 9, 2023 Dear Younger Me, These are such good questions. Thirty-eight trips around the sun later, and... Continue Reading →
Trying to wing the toast at my son’s wedding last May was a horrible idea. Once I had the microphone and looked out at that lakefront ballroom full of cherished family and friends, I felt an uncomfortable lump forming in my throat. When I turned to address the bride and groom, the swelling moved up... Continue Reading →
I sat poolside in this Mexican resort town and noticed a tingling clearness in my head and my breathing start to slow down and expand. It felt like a watch that had been ticking too fast, suddenly being reset to the correct tempo—an invisible rebooting of my soul. I recently heard the soul described as... Continue Reading →
There's a fine line between joy and despair, laughter and tears, the truth and a lie, life and even death. We should've seen it coming—we already knew we were on very thin ice. Especially after our agency was shut down by the U.S. State Department in December, but, still, we had hope. Looking back now,... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, I visited the cemetery where my dad was laid to rest in 1985. I hadn't planned to stop there, but construction and a wrong turn after dropping my mom at the airport led me on an adventure through the city of Chicago and then to the highway that passed his exit. I settled in... Continue Reading →