Just.  In.  Case. The 3 words most used by Jewish mothers. The 3 words their kids least want to hear. Daniel was packing up for his semester abroad.   According to airline regulations,  his suitcase can’t weigh over 50 pounds—which forces him to weigh priorities. So he makes a colossal mistake and asks me if [...]

I don’t do back-to school shopping  any more—but I still sense the educational expectations and emotions that arise every September.   The start of a school year summons up strong feelings.   The first day  photo op.  Proud parents, sweet smiles, sharp pencils.  (Do they still USE pencils?) For most parents, the feelings are positive:—Pride.  Hope.  Freedom.   Sometimes the [...]

The school year is starting;  almost 2 million kids are heading off to college for the first time—-so there’s a predictable rash of articles on the internet.  How to let go and say goodbye. 9 tips for sending off a college freshman.   And the one I saw in the morning paper:  What every kid should [...]

Uncontrollable Mothering: Episode #2 in a sporadic series There are times in a mother’s life when the primal mothering instinct can suddenly take over your mind and body.  There is no forewarning and no way to stop yourself. You have no conscious knowledge or control over what you do.  This can occur whether your child [...]

I’ve lived in California for a long, long time.   Give me a rainstorm, a mudslide, an earthquake–I can handle it.   But no snow. According to sophisticated population studies,  millions of people actually live in the upper Midwest.  And the vast majority of those people, despite the bitter cold and all that snow, manage to work and travel [...]