family – Page 2 – A Grain of Salt

That’s a Lot

Published September 18, 2023

That’s A Lot The urban dictionary defines the phrase that’s a lot as a situation in which the observer is overwhelmed by visual stimulation, smells, sounds, or anything pertaining to excess action. This time last year, I heard this phrase spoken to me as others learned that within a period of six weeks: I can agree now when I read it all in one place almost a year later. A lot was going on. When I was…

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Meta Maxine

Published October 31, 2022

My mother did not like her name. She went by Maxine, never Meta. I only realized how much she did not like it once I floated the idea of naming one of my children Maxine. My mom told me she’d disown me if I did. She never talked like that, so I took her at her word, which I always did because mom was plainspoken and truly said what she meant. I had my own…

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In Case of Emergency

Published August 1, 2022

I thought I was smart and safety conscious years ago when Gary came home and explained that we should put our numbers in each other’s cell phones as ICE – an acronym for In Case of Emergency. He explained that if I am on the side of the road, unavailable for comment, someone could open my phone, look for my ICE number and know who to call. I am sure we thought this all out…

Happy Valentine’s

Published February 13, 2022

I have given up on Christmas cards. Oh, I have the best intentions, but it seems some time warp exists in the first days of November, and the next thing I know, it is late January. I am not beating myself up because I accomplish navigating five birthdays and a big holiday for my immediate family of 17 in that time warp. That’s why I love Valentine’s. I feel like I can pay attention to…

Look around. Look around.

Published November 1, 2021

The pandemic reignited walking around the neighborhood block. My neighborhood is a landscape that has been a part of my life since I was five years old. In the ’70s, I biked, raced, and wandered inside most of the homes in my neighborhood. I at least made it inside the front door for trick or treating. Every porch light was on for that night. In the ’80’s I walked around the block when I returned…

Does Anyone Iron Anymore?

Published October 4, 2021

In honor of my mother’s 91st birthday, a reflection on laundry. For most of my mother, Maxine’s childhood is a mystery. We could never get my mom to talk much about growing up in Quincy, Illinois. She was a depression-era baby born in 1930 and didn’t enjoy dwelling on any tale of difficulty or pain. Most of us conclude her silence meant a difficult time. However, Mom was quite ready to tell us about her…

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