Month: January 2026

woke up this  morning feeling so grateful for my family

Tom, Carter, Patrick, Alina. I can not even begin to write how much joy and love they have brought me. My little village. I am so lucky.

Carter is an amazing daughter, mother, friend.  In spite of rocky teenage years, our relationship now is unbelievably strong.

Patrick is the man I would have ordered for her and our family if I could.

Tom – all those years I was not sure we would make it—- well, he has demonstrated love, strength, kindness. I could not have gotten through my femur, my pneumonia without him. He never once complained.  He says “this is what I signed up for’…. well – no , but I am grateful.

And, Alina – what a wonderful, sweet, kind, smart, beautiful person she is.

Best thing we ever did was to follow Carter and Patrick out to GJ.

 

 

My blog started off as a way to work through friendship issues. In many ways it still is. I work through hurtful friendships, I work through the meaning of friendship and how to be a good friend. But – now I am expanding, It has become more and more important to work through current issues  – maybe not so much related to friendship; more related to how I want to exist in this world.

Tikkun Olam . I have an entire post dedicated to Tikkun Olam. Repair of the World. Here’s a reminder: The Mishnah teaches that each person is an entire world. Any tikkun made in that world reverberates through all the rest of the world. Each tikkun has the potential to change everything. Make a difference

Giving back

Start Anywhere

Inclusion vs Exclusion

And, of course MLK

 

My new mantra – why not??  Give me a reason – why not I ask.

We travelled east in November for my niece’s wedding, and also to visit my Aunt and cousin, and  visit with Tom’s mom. Julia’s wedding was beautiful. Probably around 200 people.

Directly after the wedding we drove to DC to see my aunt and cousin. Then the Shit hit the fan. Immediately Cindy asked about the wedding. We told her it was beautiful. She asked how many people we told her about 200. She went ballistic. She said something like – ‘.. and she couldn’t invite me??’ Tom and I were dumfounded. Why wasn’t she invited? Why wasn’t she included? Of course this caused a huge row with my sister – who proceeded to tell me that basically  only friends of Julia’s and Garrett’s were invited. NOT TRUE. Many of her and David’s friends were there;  including friends from Philly, friends from trips, friends from New Rochelle.

Then Pat played her usual poor me card. She said we were gossiping about her. She said this was  her daughter’s wedding.  I  had ‘wronged’ her? SHe said she would never have wanted to hurt Cindy. Whoa – did you not think about your actions? Did you really think you were being persecuted?  Did you learn nothing from the Nancy Sherl incident at your wedding? And David—- where was your ‘voice of reason’? I walk on eggs around my sister. Would it have been so crazy for them to invite Cindy? Would it have been so crazy to tell me on our way out that she did not invite Cindy. Then we might have been able to shut it down as soon as Cindy started asking.  Instead Pat got all bent out of shape. Cindy was incredibly hurt. It was an unfortunate incident that did not need to play out the way it did.

So – WHY NOT?? Give me a reason! Practice Inclusion.

You got to give what you take.

 

2025 was a very bad year.

Here is Bette Midler saying what I have been thinking all year:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2025 – the year it became acceptable to diminish people, name call, spew hatred, lie, be a racist.

2025 – the year we elected a 3 time felon for president, who should really be in jail.

2025 – the year we stood aside while people were clamoring for food, for survival, for dignity.

2025 – the year  we turned aside our morality for an amoral vindictive con man.

2025 – the year we let him desecrate our buildings, our art, our freedoms, our Constitution.

I will Never forget.