This Happened to Me
Sharing My Family in My Essays
Times of joy and times of grief
My first published piece was an essay.
Essay writing has always been my favorite form of writing. It allows me to share my life with you in a truly personal way.
Writing an essay, however, is more than just sharing.
Each essay revolves around one theme that allows you to discern what in it resonates with your own life.
In this curated list I’ve included essays that are snippets of members of my family.
I share what I’ve experienced in my family that may be valuable for you.
“Of all the many gifts my mother gave to me from love, her sacrifice of time and energy to make sure I had a good education was the greatest gift of all!”
A Mom Story: Remembering Honestly
“This honest look requires separating out from the greeting card version of motherhood to remember something most children have a hard time doing.”
Dear Dad: Remembering You on Father’s Day
“Wasn’t it just yesterday that we had our father daughter days together?”
“It gives me great joy each year when I can point to each ornament to share with my grandsons the story of Grandma’s life attached to each branch of the tree.”
When a Newborn Makes You Grandma
“Seeing a newborn baby touches places in my heart that stirs up a kaleidoscope of memories and feelings.”
A Fig Tree Grows on Staten Island
“But what I will always see as I look at it is my grandson’s love growing along with it, the sweetest thing of all!”
First Moments Etched on My Heart
“Does he really think that I don’t understand that now we don’t have a clue if my twenty-three-year-old son was ok? If the bus went through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel right after they spoke, Dom should have been at the World Trade Center just as the second plane hit.”
Growing Through Grief: Solo Travel and Finding Myself
“Each person’s journey after the death of a loved one is unique.
My path confused my family, but now it looks like they’re beginning to comprehend it.”