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Happy Father’s Day, Mum!
When I decided to remarry, I was in a different place in my life; a widow with an elementary school age child. I didn’t know what the protocol for such things were. But I figured that I owed it to the kid to let her in on what the new dynamics would mean. For a…
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We have come a long way!
Last week, I went by my friend’s house to drop off a pair of jeans she had asked me to shorten for her. I was just going to hand them over and head off, but she asked me in, and she hugged me tearfully and said, “I was just thinking about you! Congratulation!!” I was…
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5 Phases of Santa
2019 around Thanksgiving, the kid and I had the rug pulled from underneath us. I didn’t see it coming, worse still was the depth of the wound that it caused. When we toasted on New year’s Eve, the kid said “May 2020 bring us plenty”, and then she started to laugh as she pointed out…
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A little matter, A big bother
One day all is well and the next my car locked me out. I mean, I went to my GP, took the kid to her pediatrician, we went to CVS to drop off our prescriptions, stopped by Safeway for groceries, put a full tank of gas, came home and unloaded all, with the intention of…
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Depression & Mortality…
I have battled with depression for as long as I can remember and in the same light, I have faced mortality for as long. When I was about 5 years old, my favourite cousin Eunice died. She was my age although I don’t recall who was the older, or what she died of; I never…
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Peace…
A dear friend asked me how I was doing and managing the connection with those around me and I said it was impossible. I didn’t mean that in a negative way, that simply was the first thought that came to mind though. I pondered on what it actually means. What is Connection? I think the…
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I Smell you Loud and Clear!!
When my kid was 10 months old, her father got diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and they told him he had 6 months to live. When suddenly faced with your own mortality while you stare at the future in the eyes of your infant child, it does funny things to your mind. Those six…
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That Familiar Thing
I have pondered a lot lately about domestic abuse. The complexity of it is that it has many faces and sometimes it is hard to see beneath the surface to recognize it for what it is, both to the abuser and the victim. I have had a personal experience of it but I cannot tell…
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Se agapo!
You know how when you go to a foreign country and you try to learn a word or two of the local language, there is always a dim wit that wants to teach you the curse words and sleazy phrases? Yes, I found a few of those over the years, some milder than others. In…
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There is no dignity in fighting
When I was growing up, the one thing I recall hearing from my father very often is “There is no dignity in fighting”. As far as he was concerned, every conflict can be resolved with dialogue. Some dialogues can be handled between the conflicting parties and others will require a mediator, but no matter how…
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From Abstract to Reality
The thing about humans is we have an innate ability to cry one minute, wipe away the tears the next minute, stand up straight and step out into the sunshine and carry on, with the rest of the world. We all do that. So it is not absolutely surprising to find yourself in the constant…
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Great Rot with Deep Roots
Yesterday was my birthday and I spent it (like I normally do) contemplating how I had spent the past year, what I’d like to improve on, and what I’d like to do differently or drop off altogether.For some reason, none of that lingered long enough. My mind kept going to the image of Amy Cooper…
ARTIST. WRITER. ACTIVIST 