A Story for Bean

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A Story for Bean

(My dearest Bean, this is what is known as an allegory. Please gentle readers, VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!)

Once upon a time there was an evil dog who had food bowl. The bowl was sculpted of gold, encrusted with diamonds, and the size of a large bathtub. Every morning the food bowl would yell and wake up the dog.

The bowl had a deep resonant stabbing voice. No matter where the dog slept - inside the house, across the garden, in a different continent, he could hear the rumble. The bowl was with him and he was with the bowl.

“FEED ME. I am HUNGRY! If you don’t feed me, I will tell everyone that you don’t deserve this gold diamond encrusted bowl!

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Letter to My Children: Reharmonizing and Fishing

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Letter to My Children: Reharmonizing and Fishing

Bean sang out from her chair. “Today is Monday. Today is Monday. Monday string beans. All you hungry children..”

Dragon joined in for the chorus, “come and eat it up.”

Burbling out in unison, the tune resonated off the walls and windows.

“Wednesday, zzzooop. Tuesday, spaghetti. Monday, string beans.”

Oh my beloveds, you are literally reharmonizing yourselves back into being home. Hooray!!*

I joined in for the final verse. “All you hungry children, come and eat it UP!”

Our summer time apart (camp) this year has gifted many unforeseen ripples as we reintegrate ourselves as a foursome.

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Letter to Bean: What is Porno?

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Letter to Bean: What is Porno?

Dearest Bean,

I was closing up the kitchen before heading down to brush my teeth and corral you and your brother into bed. Bending over the couch to turn off a light, I hear your voice from the kitchen.

“Mom, what is porno?”

What the FUCK?!

“Where did you learn that word?”

“It is right here - in the table of contents of your book.”

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Letter to my Children: School Night Pleasure Reading Mea Culpa

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Letter to my Children: School Night Pleasure Reading Mea Culpa

Dearest Beloveds,

This is a mea culpa for our current nighttime routine - where I tell you to stop reading pleasure books and Turn off the light! Tomorrow morning is an early day! I am serious! No, you cannot have 5 more minutes! etc etc

The reason your mother is apologizing is because I get it. I totally understand the draw/need/desire/ache to turn the page/to see what happens/to visit longer in the fog of an alternative world. I get it, children.

I get it - which is why I apologize. Mea culpa AND I am going to keep talking about whether it is good choice to stay up late reading pleasure books on a school night (nope, not a good choice). Classic Both/And.

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Letter to my Children: How to Introduce Yourself

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Letter to my Children: How to Introduce Yourself

My beloved children,

As you know, I grew up in Washington DC. Our nation’s capital, an epicenter of Global North power, and the accompanied jostling endemic to such power. There was a ubiquitous question in the cocktail party circuit. A refrain peeling out from many perfunctory conversations over square cheese bites.

“So, what do you do?”

You are really asking where I can be categorized in the ladder of capitalism. I see you.

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Letter to My Children: Come To The TABLE!

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Letter to My Children: Come To The TABLE!

Dearest Beloveds,

Spring springs, oncology visits abate, and your mother dives a new community. I have become a member of Coming To The TABLE (CTTT).* I have barely begun to scratch the surface of this amazing organization and am already fluttering with excitement and potentialities, not least of which is volunteering all of us to assist with the Freedom Walk 2026.

250 years after 1776, activists will walk the 750 mile trek of the Underground Railroad, “following 19th century routes to freedom.” They are starting in 19 days. Beginning in Maryland, they are tracing the routes traveled by Harriet Tubman and so many other frightened, courageous, inspiring souls - through New Jersey, New York, and into Canada.

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Letter to my Children: Get Ready Man and What the Heck?!

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Letter to my Children: Get Ready Man and What the Heck?!

During the last snowday, teetering on the roof of the wood shelter, Bean was stricken with indecision. “Should I jump?”

From the ground Dragon called up to Bean, , “Get ready! Get read-y!!”

“Dragon, stop!”

“The worllld is coming to an end!”

We all started laughing.

Thank you Thurber.

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Letter to my Children: Single Use Plastic ... Bespoke Clothing

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Letter to my Children: Single Use Plastic ... Bespoke Clothing

Recently, you two played very quiet indoor soccer. On the other end of the building your mother had this internal conversation.

Corinna, raise your hand. You will be mad at yourself if you ignore this nudge to speak.

I am going to ask this question in front of all of these fellow soccer parents - out myself as a crunchy hippy environmentalist - even though I know the answer is capitalism and no, there is no wiggle room.

Yup. Be the Lorax.

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Letter to my Children: Love vs Ignorance

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Letter to my Children: Love vs Ignorance

Dear Beloveds,

One morning on our drive to school I took a break from exclaiming over the rose fingered snow covered mountains. “Okay kids, I want to share something with you that really resonated with your Momma. I was listening to Josh from The Emerald* interviewing a professor, Dr. Omid Safi. The professor said that in his religion, the opposite of love is not hate. The opposite of love is indifference. I think this is so so soooo true and I wanted to talk about it.”

Quiet in the car.

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Letter to My Children: X Days

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Letter to My Children: X Days

“Momma, why do you have big Xs in your book?” Looking up from her morning granola, Bean’s gesticulated with her spoon toward my open calendar book.

“Ah ha, those are my favorite days. Those are the days where I am not allowed to schedule anything.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if I want time and space to focus and work on my own projects it is really difficult for me to do that if the day is carved into appointments all day long. It is really easy for your mother to fill my day with doings if I didn’t write big Xs in my book.” I flipped back to a week before school started. “See how this week, every day is filled with doings? Party, doctor appointment, friend call, another doctor appointment…”

“But why a big X?”

“That way, I have to think twice before putting something in that day because I know I am sacrificing a day of Corinna creativity… it better be worth it!”

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