growth
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In Matters of Taste
Dear Mom, I have been thinking a lot lately about my inability to say no to my kids. I googled why I can’t say no, and the answers were quite illuminating. Staring back at me were the following reasons why people struggle… Continue reading
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Do I Need A Change of Scenery?
Dear Mom, Last week I wrote to you about being stuck in a rut. I have to say I’m feeling a lot better. Maybe it was the comments I got from various people who understood the feeling. Maybe it was… Continue reading
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Navigating Setbacks
Dear Mom, I often feel like I’ve turned a corner. That I’ve somehow figured out a way to survive my life without you. Then, something happens. Not always something big. Often, it’s a seemingly insignificant moment which reminds me that… Continue reading
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Because I Said Yes
Dear Mom, I asked the kids today what it feels like when I say no to them. Scotland said, “It feels like I don’t get ice cream. Like a beautiful parrot gets trapped in a bird cage.” Idris said, “It… Continue reading
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Therapy Room
Dear Mom, I’ve been looking at your old journals again. I found an entry where you spoke about all the things you did during your day to keep your mind off your diagnosis. Particularly in the end after the tumor… Continue reading
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Unpacking My Layers of Regret
Dear Mom, When I was a teenager, you told me that I too often surrounded myself with broken people. That I’d seek out friends who needed help. Who needed to be fixed. Did it ever occur to you that I… Continue reading
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Learning Together
Dear Mom, The last few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want my life to look like. Not my ‘in 5 years’ goal. Not my ‘at my deathbed’ goal. Rather, my ‘right now, today, tomorrow, in the… Continue reading
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See You Next Time
Dear Mom, We did it. We went to Chicago. We had a wonderful visit, but I can’t seem to kick this feeling that I failed you. That it wasn’t enough. I dreamt of this trip to your city. Envisioned taking… Continue reading
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See You Soon
Dear Mom, I’m flying my kids to Chicago this week. It’s been a while since I’ve spent time in the city. Since I’ve come home. Chicago still feels like home to me. My birthplace. Your birthplace. Both of my kids… Continue reading
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Living My Legacy
Dear Mom, Before you got sick, how often did you think about dying? Did you ever? Was it a fear you had? I don’t remember ever talking to you about death. Not until the very end. By then it was… Continue reading
Sober Letters to Mom 