“For in paradise, before his sin, man could not, it is true, do everything; but he could do whatever he wished, just because he did not want to do whatever he could not do…” St. Augustine, City of God, Book XIV, Chapter 15 Read more

It’s a refrain these days, “Penny, I am proud of you.” I say it when she walks out of school with her thumbs up, an indication that she has made “good choices” today (this after a few days of bad choices, which included yellow paint smeared across her new white shirt, in her hair, on her cheeks…). Or after she tells me she needs to “tinkle on the potty.” Or, after she says, “Mom, I will write my name,” and... Read more

New post on The Park Forum, “The Way Out of Grief.” Read more

I suppose it is a right of passage for kids. Penny has come into the stage of asking “why?” about everything. A quick example: “Where’s Dad?” “At work.” “Why?” “Because he goes to work in the morning.” “Why?” “Because he likes to teach.” “Why?” And on it goes, until I give up. As tedious as the conversations can become, I’m also amused by them, and encouraged that Penny is trying to figure out why the world works the way it... Read more

Peter and I have a running debate. He calls me a pessimist. I respond by saying I’m a realist. Sometimes, he’s willing to grant me that title. And it’s easy enough for me to respond to the world realistically when it comes to making mundane personal decisions. For instance, someone will ask us if we can go out to dinner. I’ll take a look at the calendar, note that we have five evenings out in a row, and say, “No.... Read more

New Post on The Park Forum on Identity Politics Read more

New Post on the Park Forum: Three-year olds and Self Control Read more

Why is moralism so annoying? (And of course, there are times when it is far more than annoying and becomes disturbing, mean, unjust, insensitive, etc.) I’ve found myself cringing when someone states an opinion with which I agree, such as, “High school students shouldn’t get drunk,” or, “You shouldn’t spend lots of time playing video games or watching television,” or “You shouldn’t spend money on things that won’t last.” Sometimes it’s the content of the statement itself, and at other... Read more

Penny keeps asking me to tell her stories. “Tell story Mama little girl,” she says. So I’ve been remembering moments in my childhood and passing them along. Last night, I remembered that on more than one occasion, I “ran away” from home. I never went far. Once I made it to the empty lot two doors down. Once I camped out on the back porch. Once I hid underneath the house. But always, each time, I desperately wanted to be... Read more

New Post: Women and Happiness on The Park Forum Read more