It was spring 1982 and I was a graduate student at what was then called Gallaudet College in Washington, D.C. I was in my second semester and had become comfortable in this busy and diverse city. Public transportation was my way of getting from the apartment in Northwest to the college in Northeast and even […]

My Missouri cousin, whom we visited every summer, was an only child, like me. We were born three days apart. His name was Jay, and mine was Kay. I loved visiting them. His mom was, “Oh, let the kids go play, they’ll be OK.” My mom was a total watchdog and I couldn’t make a […]

When my first husband was diagnosed with cancer, I entered a world I never knew. In order to fight alongside him, I had a lot to learn. I was a fish out of water. You never gasp at air as much as when you feel your loved one is sinking and you don’t know how […]

I have a river dog, actually a Royal River dog, Banjo (rescued from Georgia). He is orange with a “pedigree” tail – fluffy like a collie’s, but it curls beyond 360 degrees 99 percent of the time. It’s a happy tail. We live by the river where the fresh water mingles with the salt water. […]

Mike and I were very different personalities. We had varied shared interests, along with our individual ones. We learned how each of us needed to move through the relationship, and over time adjusted how we interacted. He trusted my opinion on decorating our home. I trusted his on which wine goes with what meal. We […]

It was supposed to be the best weekend ever. I was 16, in love with my first boyfriend, and was to travel on a train from Baltimore to Virginia to see him. Peter had invited me to visit him at his boarding school in Virginia, for a weekend of football games and a dinner dance. […]