I hear stories of kids chomping at the bit to get away from home, running to college as if their lives depend on it. Kids who are simply bubbling with excitement and parents who are struggling to let go. So much is written about parents who are worried about letting go but whose kids…
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On this day of darkness, when words fail . . .
I am utterly and heartbrokenly speechless about the violence this week. There are no words that fit the day, that can deal with this darkness. How do we address both the horrific police brutality that we’ve seen day after day and the tragic, awful shooting of peaceful police officers in Dallas? What I do know is…
Finding Dory: A look into the deep, blue sea of life with a disability
*Spoiler Alert: Ok, so I might give away a bunch of plot, but I don’t think it changes the film viewing, or the film’s importance. My husband and I finally saw Finding Dory – and what’s not to love about it? It’s funny, adventurous, and sweet. We found ourselves chuckling at the grumbly Septopus and…
Letter to my daughter on Leaps of Faith (or thoughts on jumping into College)
*In Hawaii, as a surfing first-timer, the waves you rode were tiny but your courage matched those surfers tackling 15 foot swells. In case you didn’t know this: At 27, I was laid off of a job where my colleagues had become family, and I was heartbroken. Within days, jobless, I’d decided to move across…
Standardized Tests Indicate We Need Time to Reflect and Collaborate on Best Practices
I wrote this several years ago now, when I had tried a blog but wasn’t really sure what I always wanted to say. The blog withered and I moved on. But I just re-read this and I am startled by how much things change and, how often, they remain the same. The daughter I spoke…
The Doors to My Pantry
If you think of doors as an invitation, a lovely opening into our lives, then I have no way to explain the ominous double doors into my pantry. My pantry is just a large cabinet in my kitchen, really – not one of those glorious spaces you can walk into and peruse shelves of canned…
First Impressions
Her howling cry belied how tiny she was in my arms. Swaddled tightly, Chloe, my newborn, kicked and screamed as if she were trying to escape and I was at a loss as to what to do next. I had nursed her, changed her, walked her around my small hospital room and spoke softly about…
When Dads become our heroes- a Father’s Day reflection
In the late 1970’s, my dad won the Mother’s Day Award through our church. He really was the best mother a father could be. When my mother died of breast cancer in 1972, at the age of 42, Dad was left on his own to raise four children, all under the age of 13. I…
Spring Break in DC: What I learned
I love to travel. Pack my bags, live out of a suitcase, walk until my toes hurt kind of travel. Even with teenagers. This year, we realized, would be our last Spring Break as a family. With one kid going off to a far-away college, our schedules will no longer sync; everyone will start doing…
Big Sky Montana: Jake’s Horses
Next time you’re near Big Sky Montana, hitch a ride with Jake’s Horses. You’ll travel through fields and creeks — over mountains and into valleys. Your heart will want to go on forever. Your bottom will bottom out and you’ll be grateful to see Jake’s Barn towards the end of your ride — but you…
Barbara Ganias Comstock 