Back then, I didn’t understand that what was happening in my house was not happening in everyone’s house at night, when the doors were shut and the blinds were drawn. It took me just as long to sort o...
A lemon, said Mrs. Lefkowitz, and nodded. Huh? Think about fruit, she continued. When you squeeze an orange, what do you get? Rose smiled. Trouble? No, no, Mrs. Smart. You get orange juice. You don’t...
Long as people can still surprise you, it means you’re not dead.
Assuming that their hard work, not their privilege, was what ensured them their good jobs, good schools, nice houses, and pricy vacations. Born on third base and think they hit a triple,
You’ve got to make time. It’s important. You know how they tell you on planes, in case of an emergency, the adults should put their oxygen masks on first? You’re not going to be any good to anyone if...
When your mom and I were your age, there weren't a lot of options for girls. Like, you know how your mother's always telling you that you can be anything you want to be when you grow up? That wasn't w...
When I was five I learned to read. Books were a miracle to me - white pages, black ink, and new worlds and different friends in each one. To this day, I relish the feeling of cracking a binding for th...
We lose ourselves, she repeated, forming each word with care, but we find our way back. Wasn’t that the story of her life?
There was a parallel universe that ran alongside the normal world, and if you went through the wrong door, or turned left instead of right, ran up the street instead of down it, you could accidentally...
There is a long time in me between knowing and telling. —GRACE PALEY
Savasana—corpse pose—is the hardest pose of all. You would think, ‘What could be hard about lying on the floor?’ But the truth is that we, as humans, are not wired to be still and do nothing.
Once, she'd cried, telling me that she thought she should have noticed, should have seen that I was in trouble, should have done something. I told her it was my problem and my job to solve it. Just be...
Note to aspiring writers: This is actually not that many rejections in the grand scheme of things. I know published writers whose rejection count is in the triple digits. Never give up. Never, never,...
My parents aren’t cruel to them. They pay them well. It’s more that they treat them like they’re pets.
I think every person who is single should have a dog. I think the government should step in and intervene: If you're not married or coupled up, whether you've been dumped or divorced or widowed or wha...
I shut my eyes, assaulted by a sudden vision of Bruce and his new girl in his wide, warm bed, his arm wrapped companionably around her, telling my family secrets...and the new girl would give a wise,...
Husbands and houses are negotiable, she said, And as for a plan... we'll figure it out.
Hefty? I'd railed to Peter, waving the clipping for emphasis. Hefty? For the record 'Hefty' is a trash bag. I'm festively plump.
Do not postpone life until two pounds form now. Go on the trip. Wear the strapless dress. Go zip lining, or water-skiing, or swimming with the dolphins. None of us are guaranteed a future. Putting ff...
As we get older we all learn that there isn't a finish line....or maybe there is, but it keeps moving. It's a rare moment where we look around, sigh with satisfaction, pull our spouse or kids or pets...