I wrote this several years back, but I love this story of my brother George’s last day. My brother approached death with such grace, it was awe-inspiring. *** Twenty-one years ago tomorrow, my brother George passed away. He was 54 years old. George called on the evening of May 2nd, 2004, and told me that…
A Favorite Photo of My Dad at the Sale Barn
Here is one of my favorite pictures of my dad. He is the man holding the microphone, wearing black “Barry Goldwater” glasses. He is above the ring where livestock came in one at a time and were auctioned off to local ranchers and major meat-packing companies, like Hormel or Jimmy Dean. I don’t know the…
Poem: Your Arms-Wide-Open Heart
I didn’t expect to love youI thought instead you’d be a friendSomeone I’d enjoy when I saw youAnd think little about when I didn’t.But that’s not what happened.Instead, you slipped right past all the roadblocksMade me laugh and feel seenSurpassed my expectations Pulled me close And have never let me go.Loyalty, after all, is one…
What Love Looks Like With a Little Help from Viktor Frankl
The best lesson I’ve learned about love is this: the greatest gift I can offer another person is to stop whatever I’m doing, listen — really listen — to what they’re saying, and then make the effort to see the world through their eyes. It sounds simple enough, but it’s not, especially when the other…
Holding My Novel in My Hands: What a Thrill!
I recently had my biggest thrill as an author so far: my paperback of Hope in a Time of Dying arrived in the mail, and I got to hold this long-term dream in my hands. Being the notorious crier that I am, I shed a few very happy tears. Also, I was surprised by a…
For My Late Mom, Whose Birthday is Tomorrow
The year is 1972, the month is February, and this is three days before my father would die from lung cancer. This was our last family photo, commemorating the last time I saw my dad alive since I left later that day to return to Austin, where I was a freshman at the University of…
Outgrowing the Old
I am sitting in my office alone. The parent who was supposed to call at 5 requested a last-minute change to 5:45. I have no computer with me, just my phone, several pieces of blank white paper, and a pencil. I rarely find myself with forty-five unscheduled minutes, particularly on Wednesdays and Thursdays when our…
Albert Einstein: “A Friendly or Hostile Universe”
I wrote this piece a few years ago, but I believe it is still relevant today. We are assailed daily with the invitation to see the universe we live in as hostile. While many terrible things are happening right now that I don’t support or believe are right, I still think most people are decent,…
Congratulations to McKenzie Royo: 4/4 Acceptances and Scholarships to Top Art Schools
I am so pleased and proud to announce that my writing student, McKenzie Royo, has received acceptances and scholarships to four top art schools in the United States: Pratt, Parsons, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Otis. He has chosen to attend Pratt in Brooklyn because he “loved the campus and their…
My Friend Nick and His ALS Journey
Last November, my beloved friend, John Nicolaisen, aka Nick, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Since then, he has lost strength and breathing ability. Nick was my college boyfriend and travel mate for a year in Italy in the mid-70s. We both taught English at the British School in Milan….
20 Minutes a Day 