With a Full Heart

Perhaps you remember that fragment of a phrase from Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.” The phrase that has always stuck with me is “two roads diverged in a yellow wood” and the poem, of course, goes on to describe the decision that has to be made, a decision that is to take the…

I am not sure if this is a character flaw or an asset. I’m not sure if it is a “female” thing or a side effect of my childhood. What I do know is that it is part and parcel of who I am, who I have always been and who I suspect I will…

Last night we had a lovely dinner in a local restaurant. Soft, instrumental music was playing and it was a nice backdrop to our conversation. One piece of music was not really distinguishable from the rest until we got up to leave and were standing near the door for a moment. Within the blend of…

It’s no secret that we live our lives at breakneck speed. We cram every minute with action, either, or both, professionally or personally. We race from one square on our game board of life to the next square, rarely taking time to think about where we have been but, rather, focusing on where we are…

I was recently asked to share a favorite story about my mother. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? After all, if you were to ask my children they would have multiple stories to share. Most of them would be stories that exposed one of those behaviors that causes them to murmur “Mom,” and shake their heads, but…

For years, my husband has told me that I need to have an agent. When someone asks me to do something, I would say “You have to call my agent” and the agent would say—you guessed it—a resounding “No!” Obviously, he thinks that I am incapable of saying that word myself. And, in truth, he…

In my professional life, I have had the extraordinary good fortune to work with amazing people. I don’t know if it is because we work in healthcare and these special folks are drawn to this work or that I have just been blessed, but I know that it is true. Oh, don’t get me wrong.…

I’m finishing my birthday week, although my husband would tell you I extend my birthday for the entire month. That maybe, indeed, be close to the truth but why should a birthday be confined to a single day? The reality is that I am not overly thrilled about birthdays. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I…

As a parent, there have been so many times that I have wished that I could take my child’s place in a difficult situation. The first time I really remember thinking that was watching as one of my sons got on the school bus for the first time. He was new to this school, going…