Is There Really A Winner? — I was at a friend’s dinner party recently. I met a woman there who had just lost her mother a few days earlier. She was clearly upset, in the thick of those early days of grief. I offered her my condolences saying, “I’m so sorry for your loss. I understand.”…

Expectations of the word “widow” — I was at the car wash recently and while I was waiting for my car to get dried, the person sitting next to me said, “Last time I got a carwash, it rained the next day.” I replied, “Oh, I hate it when that happens. Especially because I’m a widow.” …

…and I Need to Talk About That — My boyfriend and I were reading in bed the other night when I turned to ask him, “What’s your love language, again?” Marcos looked up at me from his phone, “My love language?” He considered, “I think it’s quiet.” I looked at him and said, “Quiet?” “There’s too much talking…

I have an iMac computer that sits on my desk. It contains photos, contacts, home movies, and everything from business documents to drafts of everything I’ve ever written since I first turned it on nearly a decade ago. But in the time it’s taken me to write this many words…

Some friends and I celebrated my birthday recently. This included a light spread of some mixed nuts, brie and crackers, wine, champagne, cake… the usual party fare. Three friends abstained from the wine and champagne and opted for a mocktail of cherry juice instead — “It’s supposed to help with…

On Living Life Off the Mat — I am not a team player, or a joiner, or someone who likes to participate in large group activities. Which is why it takes every fiber of my being to get to a yoga class. Every single time. For the past almost 15 years. It’s not that I don’t like…

My husband’s 59th birthday is this week and even though Joel died a few months after he turned 50, I find myself wondering, “How could I be married to someone so old?!” …

And I’m trying every single one. — I haven’t been feeling well since I got back from my daughter’s college graduation last month. At first, I thought it was emotional exhaustion. The event itself was joyous and full of love, but my daughter and I, as well as other family there to support her, all felt the…

My boyfriend allows space for my husband and I am awed by it. — My boyfriend and I went to the Van Gogh immersive exhibit the other day. There was an almost dizzying feeling the minute we walked in, like those virtual rides at Disneyland that make you feel off-balanced. We were happy to take a seat on one of the benches to steady…