What Makes Us American?

I teach high school civics. You might think this is the worst subject to teach—especially in these politically polarized days—but…

Christmas Joy

One day, I drove into my neighborhood and saw signs pointing to an estate sale. I’m nosy, so I followed…

Right now I’m contemplating Thanksgiving plans and what to do for Christmas, as tiring as that sounds in the middle…

I’ve started and stopped this blog many times, unable to focus long enough to eek out more than a few…

Recently, a few colleagues and I stood at our doors waiting for 1st period students to arrive, talking about how…

Tomorrow I turn 43. To prepare for the big day and my birthday week, I caught up on homework, wrote,…

Last week we went to dinner with my brother-in-law, niece, and nephew. It was for my sister-in-law’s birthday, her first…

I’ve been thinking about the melting pot that is our own lives, and how our impermanence and everyone else’s impermanence…

This morning I saw a man with gray hair pushing an umbrella stroller stacked with junk, wearing mismatched clothes and…

Each night feels like Groundhog Day. The same fatigue. The same insurmountable housework, kid obligations, my work, a vicious cycle…