In my 20s, I lived in Wiesbaden, Germany. I worked at the U.S. Air Force Wiesbaden Hospital. Bright one morning in the summer of 1986, helicopters hovered over the hospital. My American friend and…
Young Adults
Eating Disorders and Body Image
In early childhood, I was a tad bit chubby. Some people pointed out that it was baby fat. Others felt they were doing me a favor by citing that it…
Where is Home?
I just returned from a glorious week stateside. I got to travel all alone to my home. I am from small-town Texas. I love it. I got to go to…
Why Should I Forgive?
In his groundbreaking book “No Future without Forgiveness,” Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa details the sorrow that South Africans suffered under decades of apartheid. Their journey had a global…
Being Normal
I received a note from a good friend who is reading the book Susan Yates and I wrote, “Barbara and Susan’s Guide to the Empty Nest.” She wrote, “Read more of…
Back-to-School Blues
It’s that time of year again. This was a beautiful morning; this was a sad morning. I sat on the porch steps, waving goodbye as my husband drove my children…
Rejoicing in the Empty Nest
I just talked to my daughter. Ashley has five — count them — five boys! They are all 10 and under. She was telling me today how tired she is. Bless her. I listened and tried to…
She’s Really Not Coming Home
Our youngest just completed her one year post-college internship. For months, she’s been talking to us about where she will live and what she wants to do when she is on…
Reducing Clutter
This past weekend, Dennis and I started cleaning our garage; actually, it’s a large storage shed. The garage was converted into a playroom equipped with a Ping-Pong table and foosball machine…
College Ready … or Not … Here They Come
My daughter is a junior in high school, so we have recently begun the process of choosing a college. She has made a few visits already, and there are others…