Judith Lee Herbert
I
“Cannoli,” you say,
your first word this morning,
sweet remembrance of yesterday’s taste
of creamy pastry, still on your tongue.
I laugh, delighted
by your bright smile,
warm honey-colored hair,
sturdy little legs.
You are two, and
I sing to you
in the mornings,
strangely happy to greet the day
even before coffee. […]
by Karen Osburn
I’m not typically a Mommy who worries. Really.
But I have my moments. I have my doubts, fears, and insecurities like many Moms do.
Or do they?
Maybe it is just me? […]
by Lora Freeman Williams
Dear Reader: We are so pleased to present an excerpt from MotheringintheMiddle.com contributor Lora Freeman Williams’ newly published book:
When Isaac is five weeks old, my mother dies. She has just turned 65.
My home phone rings while I’m taking a nap with the baby. It awakens me, and I decide to let it ring. When my cell begins to ring next, I realize that it is the hospital trying my second number. The nurse tells me Mom’s oxygen levels are dropping, the end near.
I cry hard for a few minutes. I’m thinking I can’t do this alone. I need help. So I call a friend, and Karen picks us up a short time later.
When we arrive, I see my mother is gasping for breath, and I feel like the little girl I once was, in big trouble. It’s like times she wanted me to fix things that were far beyond my ability to fix. The nurse tells this is what the body does as “part of the process.” She also tells me that Mom can still hear.
I go into her room, holding Isaac. […]
by Sharon Sanchez
Making the decision to bring a pet into your family isn’t always easy. There are many things to consider such as the type of pet, cost, housing, etc. You may be hoping to teach your child responsibility. All of those things are important. But adding a pet into your home can provide priceless experiences you may have not considered before. […]
by Elizabeth Heineman
“I am a fertility goddess,” I told Glenn. “First I get pregnant with a woman, then I get pregnant at forty-five.”
“Indeed,” Glenn said.
“Yes. If I’d lived my whole adult life with men, and at an earlier time, when they didn’t have such good birth control, I’d have six kids and six abortions behind me by now.” I am a historian of women and sexuality, and such people have no illusions about how women used to control their fertility.
“Good thing Julia saved you from that fate,” Glenn said. […]
by Judith Lee Herbert
Cobalt blue enamel sky,
diamond studded crescent moon adorn
the gold locket of my charm bracelet.
Gift from my parents when I was young,
it holds the image of my mother
as she journeys to a place
without words or memory.
Dana, my one and only Baby Buddha,
told me when she was three,
“Someday, I won’t need you anymore.”
She is eighteen; it is her time
to explore the brightness of the stars
and the vastness of the universe.
As constellations move in the night sky,
My position is shifting.
I navigate my way in space,
holding on to the sacredness of love,
my own internal North Star.
Judith Lee Herbert has returned to poetry after a successful career in another field. She graduated Cum Laude in English Literature from Columbia University. She has a daughter who is a sophomore in college, and she lives in New York City, with her husband, who writes plays. She had her daughter when she was in her 40s.
by Lisa Stauffer
Let’s start with where we are right now … my oldest daughter has hit the tween years also known as a preadolescent girl. I on the other hand have been in the midst of perimenopausal symptoms….
Some girls are feisty from the get go … […]
by Patti Rice
It’s Monday night and the house is quiet.
Well, I take that back – it’s quiet except for Hayden, who is squirming and complaining on my lap. He’s been in a grouchy mood all day, and I think I’ve nursed him 49 times. Possibly less, but it doesn’t feel like it. Lily is chattering in the background too – covering her doll with a maroon plastic pasta strainer and singing “wash, wash, wash.” (Give that girl an A+ for creativity, because I promise she isn’t reenacting anything she’s seen here before.)
But. it’s more quiet here than usual, because the rest of my kids are dispersed throughout our town tonight….some are playing football in a park with their older brother, a few are off on an ice cream date with Daddy, and Mackenzie is staying the night with a friend from work whose husband is out of town. […]
by Michal Klau-Stevens
It’s time. You feel ready for this. You feel secure in your career, your financial situation, your relationships, and your place in life, and now you are ready to get pregnant and start your family. If you are a woman over the age of 35 and feel like you are in the prime of your life, you may be surprised to find that the maternity medical establishment may not view you in the same light. […]
by Melanie Elliott
I truly can’t believe it’s been 4 years since The Littlest E became our son. Where did all the time go? I’m sure most parents feel the same way when celebrating their child’s birthday, along with tremendous joy and gratitude. As an adoptive parent, I get to celebrate the birth of our son, and the birth of our family, our Family Day.
I hope I never forget what life was like before The Littlest E came home with us, so that I don’t lose the gratitude I feel everyday that I get to be his Mom. Adoption is a gift, one that I cherish with my very soul, for without that gift, my life and my husband’s life would be drastically different. […]
