Memorial Day

Memorial Day

“Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things.”
Cicero, 80 B.C.

On this Memorial Day weekend we remember those who served our country and honor their sacrifices with moments of silence, prayers, flags, and ceremonies. We remember.

Memorial Day also brings personal memories for our family. On this Memorial Day, May 30, 2016, I remember my brother, John. He often joked that had we met in high school, we probably would have dated, as we had so much in common. We’d look at each other and laugh, thinking this scenario sounded too much like a Hollywood script. But we didn’t meet in high school or even know of each other’s existence until we were in our mid-fifties. (more…)

Joy and Sorrow

Joy and Sorrow

In his epic poem The Waste Land, T.S. Eliot wrote:
“April is the cruelest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.”

April 2016 mixed joy and sorrow, reminding me that good things happen as well as bad. On April 5, 2016, I received printed copies of The Spirit of Villarosa, a book I’d worked on for many years as a coauthor. To see the results of my labor brought elation. (more…)

What’s in a Name?

What’s in a Name?

How we title our work often pertains to our story’s theme. The working title for my memoir What Lies Within was Silver Lining for nine years. Shortly before publication, the movie Silver Linings Playbook premiered. My book dealt with my early life and focused on adoption, abandonment, love, loss, and resilience. Silver Linings Playbook depicted mental illness, loss, and love. The film and my story differed greatly, and I did not want the works confused.
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