My father was always in the garden, even this time of year, picking the last of his beefsteak tomatoes, or digging around and pulling out the dead plants. He loved it. I remember shortly after my kids and I moved in with him after my divorce, I asked my daughter to go out to the garden to tell him dinner was ready. He was 95 at the time.…
I was rooting around in my closet a few nights ago looking for a jacket to wear because, joy of joys, it’s finally cool in the evenings here. As I slid clothes along the wooden rod in my tiny closet, I spotted my dad’s favorite green sweatshirt. He loved that sweatshirt and used to wear it all the time — really — I mean ALL the time. If you…
My dad was never one of those “I love you” guys. He was affectionate, gave me hugs and the occasional kiss on the cheek, but those words never left his lips when I was young.…
Not every Christmas gift has to be one a child craves… some can be symbolic, like the one I just left under the tree for both my kids. My daughter was having a crisis of confidence a few weeks ago, before finals and holidays. She burst into tears over an avalanche of schoolwork she put off, and put off, until it became overwhelming. She didn’t want to tell…