Stories With Heart And Soul 
My perspective on parenting has changed over time – a lot. I learned to parent from the heart instead of the mind. I focus on my son Matt’s inherent goodness and strengths not his struggles with dyslexia or ADHD. When Matt was a toddler I obsessed about his intellectual achievement, measuring his progress against benchmarks in books for
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I am a big believer in the power of symbolism be it a phrase, an icon, or a flower. Mindful symbols root us and feed our souls. When my daughter Emma was an infant, we put wallpaper in her bedroom. Lilies of the valley on a cream background with pink accents. For the poet William
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I grew up in New York City where I either played inside or in park with adult supervision. There was no roaming. On the weekends, I often stayed with my grandparents in the suburbs. My mom’s youngest sister Mimi was responsible for me most of the time. In many ways, she was my older sister.
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Mr. Pierre’s Beauty Salon was the best toy. The centerpiece was the head of a woman with golden hair sprouting from a scalp. It came with styling tools, but all I ever did was chop it. In my memory there was an endless supply. While I loved my baby doll that peed and drank milk,
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One of the best things I’ve found in my 50’s is acceptance of my mom. Growing up, Rita challenged my sensibilities and sanity on a regular basis by being lawless and the most unconventional mom in my circle by light years. Appreciating her took a long time and a lot of compassion. Rita was a
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My son Matt was a wild boy. And in so many ways, he is my inspiration. I remember watching my two-year-old strip and jump in a park fountain. Matt lifted his head to the spray and stood in a state of pure joy as the water poured over his naked body. Next he was a
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The day we dropped our daughter Emma off at Rhodes College was a not a day orchestrated for reflection. There was a brisk schedule to keep and a well filled with angst and sadness in my heart. My baby was moving on. When Emma was settled in her dorm room, the last pillow arranged on
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Kay Math is a wonder and a beloved aunt. In addition to parenting her five children, she is a mom to many of her nieces and nephews, including me. She taught me how to bake, sew, iron, shuck corn, slice a tomato and churn butter. By example, she demonstrated how to be a gracious hostess
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