Tales from a Mid-Lifer

  • 10 Things I Believed at 25 That Proved False by 45

    Ahhhh, to be 20-something… Like most during those years, I had very definite impressions about how my life would progress. I would eventually learn, and after serious resistance – accept – that life has a way of detouring, surprising and wearing down a person, leaving a few disappointments along the…

  • My face through my son’s hockey helmet

    Throwback Thursday: 5/23/13 My son’s wide, blue eyes beamed through the cage of his hockey helmet, and I noticed he was really looking at me.  I was standing over him in the Emergency Room, as he lay on a stretcher, still in full uniform from the concussion he suffered an…

  • Nike? No thank you, Dad

    Last summer when my daughter’s sports season got underway, my husband surprised her with a new pair of super-cool field hockey cleats. They were hot pink and this child loves anything bright. I mean, these cleats were a visual delight to any female teen and her friends would have coooed…

  • On the day your first child gets their driver’s license, you’ll want to do something nice for yourself

    I didn’t think the day would really be about “me”, as a celebration lunch was in order for the new driver, followed by a few more stops for extra driving time. Yet, it was a surprisingly sensitive day for me. I quite unexpectedly felt needy, self-conscious… I craved a vacation…

  • Moms of Teen Boys Be Encouraged!

    I got longer than most Moms.  More hugs, more “I love you’s”, more devotion from my son than any other Mom I know.  That was, until he turned 14 years and two months old.  In one overnight sleep from Tuesday to Wednesday, an uneventful week by anyone’s standards, my son…

  • Paris

    Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf

  • Desensitize My Kids?!

    Throwback Thursday from 5/8/2013 I was participating in a women’s prayer meeting at a church where I was relatively new. Until that day, I regularly offered prayer for others, but rarely requested any for myself. As my children began Middle School, I realized that it would take the proverbial village…

  • Ashley Madison Revealed More Than Real Names

    A few months ago, the Ashley Madison website scandal received considerable media coverage. For those few who are unfamiliar with the website, (like I was), the site’s tag line is: “Life is short, have an affair.” “….the world’s leading married dating service for discreet encounters.” Apparently, Ashley Madison was the…

  • Perfection Is Not The Goal

    I dropped off my twins to their freshman year of college in late August. Separated for the first time in 18 years, they are at different schools, in the same state, but two states away from the nest. Like many parents, the lump still forms in my throat as I…

  • Should “their good” be good enough?

    At his part time job, my son’s work is organized, clean and excellent, leaving the managers counting on him for more important responsibilities than other employees. My son is the teenager at his part time job who does what he is told to the very best of his ability. Maintaining…

  • Must We Really have “Drive-Thru Ash Wednesday” and “Drive-Thru Funerals”?

    Dare I say that I’m officially getting old? Probably so, because although I’ve always been highly productive and not one to waste a minute of time, lately I’ve never felt more pushed from behind to speed it up. I’m sure you can relate to at least a few of these…

  • I’ve Missed YOU!!

    Just like you, different seasons bring new time-zappers and before long, months have passed! Since my hiatus from this wonderful blogging community, I’ve been through as many surprises and family busy-ness as I’m sure you have. One thing we can always count on while raising families: we are involved in…