My daughter lied to get into the locked-up building — MY MOM ALWAYS SLEPT LIKE A LOG Her head hits the pillow, and she is out like a light. I always envied her that gift. I have insomnia frequently, and it ruins my whole day. When she went into assisted living, she would go to bed around 9 PM and…

My friend’s mom came flying out the back door — IT SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME WHEN I WAS 10. My parents had a leather belt hanging in the broom closet (yes, our home had a “broom closet”!). It was a threat as punishment if we misbehaved, but they never had to use it. A family moved across the…

It is self-destruction — My oldest daughter came to my house for Christmas. I have written much about her drug struggles since she was 20. She will be 49 in March. Her body, inside and out, has taken a lot of wear and tear. She has had severe bouts of endocarditis from septic MRSA…

Men who “just want to see what’s out there.” — ONLINE DATING IS A CHALLENGE Especially when you are over 60. You must be ready to meet a stranger and chat them up for an hour or so. They may be nice, or they may insult you. I can’t tell you how many men I met online who said during…

Her biggest concern was she had to pee! — In the early 80s, I was living alone with my three young daughters and working as a nurse in the neuro unit of a hospital. One evening at work, another nurse took me aside. She said she was concerned about me. I looked very sad lately. I told her I…

Not very well — TW: Content includes discussions on depression. Cake and ice cream today? I sent this text to my daughter Sara this morning. I’ve been asking her all week if she was doing anything to celebrate my 9-year-old granddaughter’s birthday. She never answered my calls or texts. This is normal for her. …

Each person will have a different opinion — Can you identify the subject of this picture? I think it’s hard to tell. Can “a picture paints a thousand words” be a metaphor for what is true and/or untrue about a person? A metaphor is a comparison between two things that are otherwise unrelated.¹ How often are we faced…

Money can’t buy love. Or can it? — WHAT IS A GOLD DIGGER? A person whose romantic pursuit of, relationship with, or marriage to a wealthy person is primarily or solely motivated by a desire for money¹ I am not a novice at online dating. I spent two years of my life meeting men online, but I never…

The bottle disappeared while she was helping me move — I had knee surgery a year ago. I was given a prescription for oxycontin. The bottle was in a jewelry box on my bedroom dresser in a place where no one had any business looking. A month after my surgery, I had only used two oxy for pain. At this…