Month: September 2020

“I’m surprised by the depth of my sadness,” I say, tears falling from eyes still swollen from the news of the day before. “She meant a lot to a lot of people who fought for justice, especially for the oppressed,” my sweetheart comforts.  Yes. A lot. From little girls to longtime lawyers.  One gift of the many past deaths of those I cherished is that loss of a life—no matter how extraordinary— can be seen with some measure of perspective.  A week later, my eyes clearer, I see how Ruth paved my personal path for decades.  In the 1970s while she argued landmark cases on women’s rights, I was a budding feminist. I read Ms. Magazine monthly. I marched in protest to sexist policies. I applied to law school.   The announcement of RBG’s 1993 appointment was unforgettable. I sat glued to

“What did you wear?” she asked enthusiastically. It was a sweet acknowledgment that the talk I’d given that day was of some import. “Wait. Let me guess. You wore black.” I chuckled at the teasing of my friend knowing my closet is full of black dresses, black shirts, and black skirts. In my immediate defense I describe the delicate ivory blouse that peaked out from under my black jacket and the vintage necklace hung alongside it. Most mornings after meditation, tea, and vitamin D – I make my way my dresser where strands of white, gold, black, silver, and red

The September the sky was still dark as we arrived at the airport. The few parked cars scattered across the giant lots looked lonely. We entered the terminal and an eerie silence surrounded the attentive airline agents waiting at their stations. Travelers were noticeably on edge. This was not September in a global pandemic. Rather, it was the September when, just two weeks prior, four terrorist attacks on the morning of 9/11 killed thousands. Like the autumn day in 1963 when Sister Leodegar stood somberly at the front of the classroom to tell us that President Kennedy had been shot,

9/8   Dad’s birthday. He would have turned 101 but he died at 64, the age I am now 9/11 A shared memory of tragedy for our entire county 9/14 Death of my husband John 9/20 Birth of my first child September is always big for me, from being sworn in as a member of the bar to becoming a certified life coach.  September also brings my favorite season. It’s a reminder of back to school, the place of positive childhood attention.  The fields of the Midwestern countryside and the turning leaves on the oaks wear the warm tones of golds