The moment my daughter was born, I remember being shocked — not by her miraculous birth (because it had been a ridiculously long and difficult labor and delivery — kind of a miracle I made it through) but because I knew in that very second that I would walk in front of a moving train…
Tag: parenting
November Days of Gratitude: The Power of Voice and Exercising the Right to Vote
I teach English Language Arts to middle school children, but what I really teach children is how to find their voice. I teach them to not only perfect their voice in their writing, but to exercise their voice when they share with in partners and in whole-group discussions. In between the lines, I teach children…
Me, too . . . Now, what to do?
I have two daughters — one is an engineering major and the other a high school senior. Both are strong-willed and confident. So naturally, I’ve been thinking a lot about the “Me, too” campaign because, sadly: Me, too. There’s been so much talk about what to do about the pervasive and destructive sexual harassment that…
The gifts of 5:00 AM and coffee-cup meditations.
My husband jokes about “burning daylight” if you wake up too late. I’m less concerned about that than I am about seeing the start of day. There is something about the quiet beginnings of morning, the way the birds awaken and the sky lightens, that comfort me. It’s a grounding I need, and a space…
“Give me your worries, Child” Letting Go — and Grace
Give me your worries, Child Drop them, one by one, into my cupped hands. Name them, call them out for all the worry they’ve thrashed about in your tiny heart. Give me your worries, Child; Each one will rest in my care, Relax your heart from the wear and tear. I will hold each…
Finding Treasures in those Old Photographs (Write Every Day, 23)
It was when I was searching and sorting through my old photos yesterday for a particular photograph that time seemed to stand still. What a wonderful break from the disasters unfolding around the country. I found myself deep in “remember whens” — such nostalgia. During my walk down memory lane, the biggest draw on my…
The promises we make to ourselves can be the hardest to keep. (Write Every Day 16)
That picture was taken years ago on a trip to the San Juan Islands. I’m holding my oldest who will now be entering her second year of college, and I love the way the reflection and the mirror seem to hang perfectly in the field. We’re looking forward and backward at the same time. I…
Happy Father’s Day from a Grateful Daughter (Write Every Day #14)
Dear Dad, This picture is one of my favorites of you and whoever that other guy is on the right. It was obviously taken long before I came into your life. Set in Greece, it’s nostalgic and artful — but what makes it special, is that it’s of you. My dad. Today is Father’s Day….
Did you move away from home? Did you go back? (Write Every Day #11)
Before you read this post, take a look at this article about “Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay.” I was one of those who left. Packed up, headed out. Across the country. Away from my hometown, which was more suburban than rural, but I am a late Boomer. It’s kind of what we did. It…
Like the very best magic tricks, our children grow up and leave us wondering how they did that. (Write Every Day # 8)
Our daughter, having finished her freshmen year of college, just took off for her first day of a paid internship with the Port of Oakland . This is an internship she researched and applied to on her own. The competition was fairly stiff and yet she landed the job. Suddenly, she’s very grown up —…
When a child graduates, let’s celebrate the mommies and the daddies too. (Write Every Day #7)
When my daughter graduated high school last year, I did all the traditional things that parents do for their graduates. I cried when I took her for her senior portraits and cried again when the prints arrived. We invited family to the graduation ceremony and cheered wildly for her as she crossed the stage. And…
“Good Enough” Parenting
Truth is parenting is done on the fly . . . minute by minute and with no crystal ball. I hate that. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted someone to give me the right and perfect answer — to slip a perfectly folded note under my desk that would help me get…
Barbara Ganias Comstock 