The first taste of freedom comes with the ability to ride a bike. As a child, you can suddenly control your own speed and destination. If you are lucky, you can ride beyond the distance of your parents’ immediate reach — maybe around the block or over a path. In middle school, a bicycle ...

In the freezer is one precious French roll, squirreled away to break out on a dark winter day when my soul needs a lift. When I wrapped up the roll towards the end of the summer, I never considered that it would truly be the last one. My wave of sadness isn’t for the loss of the bun, but ...

The yearly transformation doesn’t happen on a specific day. It isn’t predictable like Winter Solstice, and it always catches me off-guard. The only certainty is that sometimes during the two-week post-Christmas window, all the carefully arranged decorations suddenly will become ...

When I was pregnant with my first child, I read everything about motherhood I could lay my hands on. Research has always been my friend when navigating unknown waters, so I convinced myself if I read enough, I would be prepared for whatever parenthood threw my way. In my misguided quest, I ...

By this time in elementary school, paper chain-making would begin. These were not beautiful color-sequenced Pinterest-worthy garlands. Instead, they were constructed from odd colors of faded construction paper, haphazardly cut and held together with delicious mint-flavored white paste. Each ...

Some of my friends diligently post a gratitude message each November day. Several times I have considered this habit and rejected it. My life is definitely full of 30 things to be grateful for, but I am a procrastinator. I might think about performing this task in September and again in ...