Happy Birthday, Jessica!
For my beautiful daughter —
Thank you for teaching me the meaning of joy.
Similar Posts
On negotiation
We’re getting ready in the morning, and Jessica pops into the kitchen where I’m gathering my keys. Me: Here, let me help you with you hair. Jessica: What’s wrong with it? Me: It needs to be a little neater. Jessica: Like how neat does it need to be? Me: It needs to be 100% neat….
The Faucet
The faucet is dripping. The drip is loud in the quiet room: Splat! Like a children’s book: Splat! Splat! Goes the water. “Mom?” Jessica is watching me. She says something else, a thing I can’t hear because the drip is so loud. I jump to my feet to wrench the handles shut but it’s a…
A promise
Last week I was accused of being incapable of sustained seriousness, which is, as they say, a true fact. I have always felt that life is fundamentally absurd, and I like to have a good laugh at it. (Not that I don’t have deep thoughts. Just that usually they go away after a while.)…
On how to see
I am doing an in-person interview because the editor who has hired me to write the piece I’m working on prefers her writers to do in-person interviews. This is important only because while I understand the point—it helps build rapport with someone you are about to ask a bunch of very personal questions—I am thinking…
“How do you know that?”
Jess has the conversational style of an investigative journalist. “It’s a nice day,” I’ll say, and she’ll respond, “What makes you say that?” I’ll point to the blue sky, and the shining sun, and she’ll nod, accepting the evidence I have presented. “This is a great song,” I’ll say, but it’s not enough to express…
On coming home
Jessica has been home from the hospital for several days now and is recuperating well, whereas I am still in need of strong drink. She is an amazing young woman and I am so very proud of how she faces her struggles and challenges with such courage and dignity. I am still a little embarrassed…
