Kid stories

  • Halloween,  Kid stories

    Be who you are

    “Don’t you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can’t be exactly who you are.” ~Lady Gaga Halloween is twice as much fun now that we have a grandchild who’s old enough to enjoy the festivities and spooky decorations. Last weekend, we took three-year-old Liam to the Zoo Boo event at the Detroit Zoo, where he could show off his costume for the first time in public. This year he chose to be “Super Liam,” drawing inspiration from his favorite superheroes. The costume was his own idea, and with a little help from his parents he sported a purple cape, a mask, and green suit complete…

  • Empty nest,  Kid stories,  Parenting advice,  Where I'm published

    Preparing for the empty nest: An essay about letting go

    “It is not what you do for your children; it’s what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings.” ~Ann Landers   As I post this, a good friend is on the expressway, driving her only daughter to start her first week of college in another state. I’m reminded of an essay I wrote a few weeks later after I settled into my newly emptied nest. The piece was first published in Metro Parent magazine, and later republished in Guideposts. To read it online, click here.    Today our son is a married man with a family of his own — yet the topic of launching our kids to adulthood…