When I was a kid, I was terrified of Superglue. This was because my mom once told me to stay away from it because Superglue was permanent, and if I got it on my hands, my fingers would be stuck together. What happens if it gets on my eyes? I asked, Well, she said,…
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Age, Schmage
The key to successful aging is to pay as little attention to it as possible. ~Judith Regan I was twenty-six years old when I first stood up in front of a choir full of adults and raised my arms as a conductor. On any other day I didn’t think much about age, but some of…
Read MoreLemons, Lemonade
Kauffman Stadium Open House Originally uploaded by smysnbrg At 2:30 on Saturday afternoon, Christian and Alex left for a Kansas City Royals game. (Baseball, the quintessential boys’ date.) Left at home with two little ones, I had plans of my own. They involved novel revision at naptime and a whole lotta scrapbooking—in front of…
Read MoreTop Ten Things I Love About My Children
…with some help from Christian, who took over at #6. Top ten things I love about my kids (#230-239 of my 1000 Gifts): The way, when I say, “I’m gonna get you!”, they run toward me. How I can tickle Alex without even touching him. Playing “cry/hug” with Julianna (I cry, she hugs; repeat—this game…
Read MoreObstinate
The Super Kiss Originally uploaded by Mild Mannered Photographer I’ve been reading a lot lately as part of my major summer writing project—namely, to get my novel submission package in order and start sending it out. This involves a lot of market research, which means reading a lot of novels. As enjoyable a job as…
Read MoreOrdinary Gratitude
The problem with keeping a gratitude list is that I tend to notice the same things all the time. But gratitude is an attitude that needs cultivating…at least for me. And the times when it’s hardest to keep a positive outlook are the times I most need the spiritual exercise: when kids are sick, and…
Read MoreA Different Kind of Greed
[picapp align=”none” wrap=”false” link=”term=greed&iid=5091059″ src=”0/e/4/b/Man_gathering_pile_d767.jpg?adImageId=12830221&imageId=5091059″ width=”477″ height=”358″ /] It’s a different kind of greed. It’s not about the pursuit of stuff, or hoarding things and refusing to share them. No, in my life, even my DQ Chocolate Extreme Blizzard gets split with two other little mouths. But nonetheless, it’s greed. When Christian sends me shopping…
Read MoreJoy, Joy, Joy
5:30 a.m. The day begins bleary-eyed after wakeup calls at 11, 1:30, 3 and 4. 6:45 a.m. Julianna runs (it looks more like a stagger) into the bathroom, hurtles to a stop beside me at the sink, and grabs the hem of my towel. Looking up at me, she says clearly, “Ma!” and I melt.…
Read MoreHigh Fidelity
She wrote her story anonymously for O Magazine—the story of a couple trying to put their marriage back together after the worst kind of betrayal. Sandwiched among a series of pieces on alternative relationships, I nearly skipped over it, especially when it began by talking about the days when she was “the other woman” to…
Read MoreFloundering into Gratitude
It is 5:55 a.m. and a thin sliver of creamy moon reclines just over the bare trees. For the seventh night in a row, I’ve been up with kids multiple times during the night, and it is very hard to get out of bed. I suffer from lack of motivation, too, because along with finishing…
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Kathleen M. Basi 