Some time ago I stumbled upon an unforgettable commencement speech by Ann Patchett. It was a speech she gave to Sarah Lawrence College, her alma mater, in May of 2006, titled, "What Now?" Today it's a book.

I'd been searching for inspirational words about transitions. And Patchett's words...

June 17, 2006, was the day I left Manhattan and moved west to Colorado, with only my 5-year-old twins by my side.

"We're taking a great adventure," I told my daughter, Rebecca, and son, Casey, trying to amplify everyone's courage, my own included.

Only hours before, we'd said goodbye to...

As a matter of habit, it is wise not to slam your finger in the car door.

Should such an unfortunate incident occur, certainly, do not be surprised if you scream and curse, blame your mother, husband, son, teetering dishwasher, unpredictable furnace, and gentle neighbor whose cats have nearly twice...

When was the last time you took a chance on a lead, something that more or less fell into your lap, that made you feel equally terrified and excited? Not the small everyday turns of fortune -- coffee conversation that has you jotting next steps and "what now?" I'm talking...

Hallelujah. The medicine must be working because today I managed to put money into the parking meter before simply walking away -- like I did twice this past month to the tune of $50. Well -- er -- slight confession: I did walk away, but then somehow I remembered my...

Many of us have cancer on our minds these days. Stand Up 2 Cancer debuts its third network-wide, commercial-free broadcast on September 7. The message couldn't be clearer: One out of two men and one out of three women will receive a cancer diagnosis in their...

Like the rest of the world (Batman included), I am appalled and saddened and frightened by last night's killing spree at the Aurora Cinemas. You must understand... I live near this theater. I have been to this theater, alone, and with my young twins.

My husband and I were...

The twins and I have been visiting family in California. One day my cousin, Josetta, a FIERCE shopper, took me to The New Mart, a place she and other savvy women and girls flock to the last Friday of each month. My cousin is an art consultant (she...

This is the question foremost on my mind because overnight, my children have crossed the threshold from well, children to full-fledged tweens. I wrote about this in a prior post, "Fragments of A Life." But here I am writing about the same subject because it's almost as if...

The title of this post is drawn from a chapter in my memoir. At the time, the events I described were specific, yet now the idea of fragments seems to fit the whole of my life.

Is this symptomatic of spring, particularly the end of May-hem? May-be. I love the...

What do you make of this scenario? In the midst of the Karen Hornbostel Memorial Time Trial Series at Cherry Creek State Park, my 10 year-old son hopped off his bike to gulp some water.

"You stopped during the middle of a race to drink...

I completed my graduate thesis last week -- a crowning achievement (and the reason for my online absence). Readers know that I'll earn my MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Goucher College this summer. As it happens, my thesis is the entire draft of Both Sides Now, my memoir. Lucky me....

Have you heard about how police stopped Batman in Silver Spring, Md. late last month? That's right. Batman. They pulled him over because his license plate featured only the Batman symbol, no numbers. He was driving a black Lamborghini and dressed in full black and yellow leather Batman attire. "Send...

Many of us are feeling the thaw of winter and the early heat of spring. It's a glorious time of year, albeit a charged one. Growth spurts, spring cleaning, bikes that need maintenance, gardens that need pruning, multiple school projects, the season of birthdays. And for basketball fans... March Madness,...

What do you make of the following unrelated events?

My 10-year-old daughter wakes up with a fever and hacking cough. Even she knows she's sick, and yet she demands she go to school. She bawls. She whines. She throws her body on the sofa. "I have to go to school."...

It's 3:58 a.m. and I wake in a startled state.

Did I forget the day? How could I let this slip?

I'm not thinking clearly at this ungodly hour so I begin to track back. He died in February, toward the end of the month. I count the days on...

I am moving slowly today, lethargic and dreary as the snow appears on my back porch.

Maybe it's because I forgot to wear my watch. I'm out and about for two hours on this snowy Tuesday before I realize my mistake. And when I see my naked wrist, I...