Category: Friends + Family

Isn’t That What Friends Are For?

Dave Pasquel

Decades ago, when I was in elementary school, I did have a few genuine friends. However, the so-called cool kids swiftly kicked us to the bottom of the totem pole and successfully labeled us as faggots to the entire school. When I moved to Florida in 1979, my world did improve. However, because of my grade-school trauma, it wasn’t easy to make real friends. In High School, I was acquainted with dozens of kids from every social group, but I didn’t have the phone number of one friend to rely upon if my car broke down.

My Father’s Advocate: Aging Parents and the Impact of Positive Medical Planning

Renee DeMont

“What I’m saying is, you could drop dead at any moment.” Blunt, direct and impatient, my father’s cardiologist meant what he said. Didn’t even flinch. “So what you are saying is, my father’s heart has weakened since the last MRI six months ago?” “Yes. One side is overcompensating for the Read more

Pies On The Sidewalk: A Gift Of Confidence From A Mother to Her Daughters

Dianne Blomberg, Ph.D.

My mom never knew she had actually prepared me the best way possible. She died thinking she had failed as a parent who should have protected her daughter. Because of her, I guarded myself and my daughters from a future of abuse, failure, and lost dreams. As a single mom, I didn’t have much to give my girls, but I gave them the confidence to become strong, determined women who have the courage to leave pies on the sidewalk when that’s the only option.

Day 225: Sequoia Sempervirens

Amye Archer

As I stand at the base of “The Giant,” a near three-hundred footer, I can think of nothing but our girls. How they swam to us against all odds. How they too are delicate yet strong. How they feel pressed against us, how their hair always smells like baby powder. These trees are magnificent, but they have nothing on the wonder of the thirty-year-old fuck ups who made the most beautiful creatures I’ve ever seen.