What I Finally Let Go Of, and Why
There was a box in my closet for almost fifteen years that I moved four times without ever opening, through two different houses and one apartment in between….
Giving Up My Son’s Room for a Week
My son Marcus moved out three years ago, and for a while his room stayed exactly as he left it, which is to say half packed and a little sad, boxes in the
The Chair by the Window Is Never Used for Sitting Down Quickly
A faded green wingback chair sits at the exact angle to catch the last hour of afternoon light, and the twenty quiet minutes spent in it near the end of most days have become their own small bookend.
Knitting a Blanket That Took Three Winters
There is a blanket folded over the back of my reading chair that took me three winters to finish, not because it was complicated, but because I kept setting it down and forgetting where I left off.
What My Mother Taught Me About Mending Instead of Replacing
My mother could not walk past a torn hem or a loose button without stopping to fix it, even if the garment belonged to a neighbor or a near stranger. It was…
A Birthday That Starts in the Kitchen Before Breakfast
There is a cake plate in my cabinet with a small chip along the rim, a wedding gift from more than forty years ago, and it is the only plate in the house I will
Why None of My Frames Match, and Why That’s Fine
I once paid two dollars for a frame with no photograph in mind for it. None of my frames match, and after years of trying otherwise, I no longer want them to.
What Makes Sunday Dinner Different
Sunday dinner at our table isn’t a special occasion exactly. It’s just a slower version of the same table we use every other night, with a little more food and a little less rushing.
A Piece of Jewelry Worth More Than Money
The ring is not valuable in any way a jeweler would recognize. It is a thin band of gold, worn nearly smooth on one side, with a small stone that a jeweler…
The Quiet After the Guests Leave
There is a particular kind of quiet that settles into a house about twenty minutes after the last guest’s car pulls out of the driveway. My husband calls it