With you

Don’t know how long forever lasts What’s done is done; what’s past is past Don’t know what I’m supposed to do Just want to spend my days with you Walking, talking, holding hands Side by side in distant lands Sharing secrets, fleeting glances Hold you close for stolen dances Music meant for you and me Close my eyes; you’re all I see...

Life is a Series of Choices

It was the hardest telephone call I’d ever had to make. “He’s gone,” I said quietly. “It’s over.” I could hear my father’s sharp intake of breath, followed by a choked sob. From my mother I heard nothing. Sitting on the narrow bed in our spartan hospital apartment with my husband by my side, I proceeded to convey the news to my parents that their six-month-old grandson had...

30 random facts about yours truly…

As an expat living in a country I love, I know that I will never feel 100% at home in either place and will always feel that I’m being tugged back and forth between them in so many ways. I was very shy and socially awkward as a kid, and had a difficult time making friends. It got better as I got older, but I’m still shy, and quite often, I’m still the...

Memories of Grandma…

While rifling through some drawers in our guest room, I found the printout of what I wrote nearly 17 years ago, after receiving the news that my grandmother had passed away. I didn’t fly to the US for the funeral, and instead, wrote the essay below to be read aloud during the service. Anything written in italics is information I’ve added to clarify different...

When your heart runs amok and your sanity goes missing

I‘ve reached the sobering conclusion that it’s better to think with your head than with your heart, for when you let your heart take control, it often runs amok, leaving your head, your sanity and possibly your credibility in a ditch somewhere. When you let your heart take control – or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that when you allow your mind to cede...

Close your eyes…

Close your eyes and try to see Try to imagine how different we’d be If we lived in a world Where no one would care If your very best friend Was a big purple bear Where color of skin Is never a sin Where it matters much more If you’re nice or you’re mean Than whether your skin Is pink, blue or green Close your eyes and try to see Try to imagine how good it...

And I don’t believe in fairy tales

Once upon a time Or so the stories go Girl meets boy Boy meets girl And feelings start to flow In fairy tales it all works out And love can conquer all When “happily ever after” Can catch you when you fall But I don’t believe in fairy tales Where true love saves the day I just can’t believe in fairy tales ’cause life gets in the way You might say...

Life in a Coffee Cup

Sometimes the world just gets you down And times are rather tough You’re feeling kind of out of place Your mind is filled with fluff You’re at a loss for what to do You don’t know where to go So you do what just comes naturally And grab a cup o’ joe When morning finds you far too soon And gives your face a slap It’s clear you haven’t slept...