My son was in first grade when he demanded I stop touching him at school pickup and drop-off. A public hug, it seems, was affecting his street cred.…
There are at least six of you. That’s the number I have settled on. I am talking about those of you I retreated from quickly, without explanation — even…
I have to admit that, after the shock of Trump’s victory in 2016, I was doubly rocked by the reality of our new, branded first lady. I wasn’t…
The last time I remember enjoying Christmas was the year I got a tiny, not-quite-functional toy blender. (Its plastic blade could swirl water, but it was never going…
When I was growing up, tickling was a kind of torture used by my older brother, and neither crying nor peeing could save you. Your only option, if…
I never had the easy cool my sister had. She wore shimmery blue eyeshadow, plucked her eyebrows, and lightened her hair with Sun-In — three things that openly…
A can of creamed corn a Q-tip Line dancing in gym class The Epilady Charo Hammer toes A pierced nether region Expressions like “you do you” A porcelain…
I grew up with three sisters and three brothers, so on a typical day, I might find myself dangled over the second-floor banister or tied to a tree…
You are barraged by the evidence: Aruban pleasure trips you’ll never go on, girls nights out you weren’t invited to, and valedictorian/Eagle Scout/MVP offspring you’ll never have. But,…
I used to be a good Mom. Not top-tier, but good all the same. I met all the parental requirements—like providing my sons with adequate nutrition to keep…