Blog Carnivals

A little lipstick and independence

My mother taught me so many things, it’s hard to choose which to write about. What always stands out for me was her fierce independence as a young woman. She told me she could do anything as well as the boys when she was a kid and she proved it to them often. She ran away from an abusive father to...

What I Learned from My Mom

When we had Thanksgiving at our house, my mom cooked every dish from scratch. She baked fresh bread, cooked five-course Chinese dinners, and made jam from blackberries that we picked -- and she worked part-time. Though I don't have the patience for the kitchen that she does (and I don't know how...

For the Love of Mom

Most of what I know about love, self-respect, and kindness came from lessons taught by my mother. My mother taught me about the strength we gather from family, both the one we are born with and the one we create for ourselves. She taught me that at our lowest points, the hand of love will catch us when we feel like we are falling through space, pulled down by the gravity of despair.

Lessons from Mami

Mami has been gone for three years now. And every day, at least once a day, I am reminded of something she said, some lesson she passed on. Who's Your Family? The biggest lessons were from that last year. Where we spoke of family and friends and the definition of each. The fact that Mami had...