The Mom Hangover
After shepherding my child's journey to college, my body begged for mercy: It was a Mom Hangover, and I needed to nurse it. Read more.
365 TO 50
One year. Five decades. So much to process.
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The Dorm Room Goodbye
The dorm room goodbye is one of the hardest goodbyes, and it took me a while to understand why. Read more.
A Letter to Myself, as My Daughter Leaves for College
You’re doing it already: Wandering into her room when she’s not home, just to feel the essence of her. The clothes strewn on the floor,...
A Letter to My Daughter, as She Leaves for College
Five days from now, we’ll be moving you into your college dorm. Here is how I know you're ready.
I Feel Mad About My Uterus
I am 49 years old and think it’s time for my uterus to go. You’ve served me well over the last 37 years. Actually, you’ve served me well...
Hello Silence, My Old Friend
Today I woke to an empty house. My daughter was at a sleepover and my son was at his grandparents’. My husband had left early for work....
A Sick Kid, 3,000 Miles, and a Lesson in Adulting
“Mom, I really don’t feel good,” my daughter said. She was on the phone and 3,000 miles away from home. The symptoms: nausea and...
Date Night: Often a Joy, Sometimes a Challenge, Always a Necessity
My husband and I were sitting on opposite sides of the couch when notifications started coming into my phone. Calendar invite: Drinks...
All Alone and Not Sure What to Do with Myself
I find myself in a very unfamiliar predicament: It is 6 pm on a weeknight and I am the only one home. My husband is out to dinner with a...
That Friend You Haven’t Talked to In Forever? Text Her. Here’s Why.
While scrolling through Facebook, I saw a photo of a friend who now lives down south. Except she wasn’t down south--the photo was taken...
Control is an Illusion. Here's How I Know.
Motherhood, when it descends upon you – for it doesn’t ease its way in, it just lands – created in me a sense of omnipotence. In the...
To My Daughter, on her 18th Birthday
I am learning to let go. Today you turn 18, and every day I am reminded that you are more adult than child, more capable than helpless,...
365 to 50 Starts Today
Ten years ago, I was straining at the inevitability of turning 40 and what felt like moving from being a young-ish adult into a...
A Different Kind of Thanksgiving
It’s different this year. Through the years, I’ve spent several holidays away from family. As a young newspaper reporter, I lacked the...
The Paralyzing Fear and Unparalleled Relief of Letting Kids Grow
Recently, my son went bike riding with a friend. He was masked; he was outdoors, it was just the two of them—months into this pandemic,...
A Mother's Sacred Oath
In Uganda, while mothers tend to their crops in the hope of growing enough food to feed their families, National Geographic reports that...
I Hate My Mask
I just sneezed. I tried as hard as I could to stifle it, but it was a sneeze, and rarely have I been so self-conscious. I am on the ferry...
Impossible Decisions
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York City, life changed in the span of a weekend. On Friday, I met some coworkers for a drink, and the...
When Things Calm Down…
When things calm down I’ll… Organize all my closets. Update my resume. Learn to play “Peaceful Easy Feeling” on the guitar, and then make...
There is No Joy Here
Outrage is for now. Political mobilization comes next.