Once upon a time, about 16 years ago, when I first contemplated writing a regular column, I worried that I’d run out of things about which to write. A seasoned columnist told me that once a person starts writing, she…

We’re having a bit of an issue with chores around here lately. Our days are really long and my pregnant self is pretty tired when I go upstairs to give the little ones baths and put them to bed. So,…

I’ve noticed a trend lately, as I sit in waiting rooms of various medical offices with various children. There is a quest out there for simplicity. According to magazine covers, we want simple meals and simply cleaned homes. We want…

Her voice splits the night and jolts me from bed.

“I’m right here, Kara mia, I’m right here.”

Karoline is sick and needy these days. She is clinging to me constantly, pressing a hot, limp body against mine and holding on as…

I got a note from a young mom the other day. She’s in her mid-20s, with four children and she’s really got me thinking. I told her that I think she is a lot like me. She wants to do the…

I ran into an old acquaintance at a party last weekend. It had been about a year since I’d last seen her and I was delighted to meet her again. She’s always been a warm woman, who seemed to love…

There is an adage that advises a young person to choose to work at a job he loves and he’ll never work a day in his life. It’s one of those sayings that is cloaked in shades of gray. The…

Last year, I planted roses. I planted two varieties, six bushes in all. Three of the bushes were white roses called John Paul II. The other three were Our Lady of Guadalupe roses — beautiful pink roses that bloomed abundantly…

The neighborhood pool is filled to almost overflowing. Chairs are scrubbed and arranged neatly on the decks; everything is at the ready. It’s nearly summertime. And just as surely as the pool will open on Memorial Day, family schedules and…

My children and I didn’t get to see the pope. It’s been a long winter of illness in my house and we were just recovering. I couldn’t imagine juggling children (some of them still not feeling completely well) and strollers…