family

Is Joint Custody Best?

I’ve seen a lot of headlines about states that are moving towards automatic joint custody for divorced parents. And there’s always a lot of cheers… and a lot of jeers. This is big news in the communities devoted to Fathers’ Rights. Men usually cheer because this prescription will save fathers a lengthy and expensive court battle if they want to share parenting time equally with their ex. The women’s communities are a bit more divided on this issue of 50/50 joint custody. Some women strongly believe their children are not safe with their ex. They insist, for the wellbeing of the children, […]

Continue reading

Book: An American Marriage

I discovered An American Marriage last month when the author, Tayari Jones, came to Harrisburg. She delivered the opening keynote for the 2018 Book Festival at the Midtown Scholar (worth a stop, if you’re ever in the area). At the last minute, I bought a ticket, drove downtown, and then waited in line. I received my copy of the novel on my way in the door, and then proceeded to the front row and waited an hour to hear the author speak. I began reading immediately, and was introduced to Roy Hamilton. As I turned the pages, I learned that Roy was wrongly accused […]

Continue reading
total eclipse

Divorce And The Solar Eclipse

I was about ten years old when I learned the definition of a “solar eclipse”. As my teacher described how the sun, moon and Earth align to create the phenomenon, I stared in awe at a photo in my science book. I was amazed, and I wanted to see it in person. Yesterday, I did. Since the event, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting. Like so many other things in nature, I thought about the eclipse as a metaphor, and I drew parallels to human relationships… The sun and moon are kind of like a divorced couple. You might say they’re the parents […]

Continue reading
Smart Women

Book: Smart Women by Judy Blume

I don’t read much fiction. In fact, I tend to limit the genre to vacations only. Thus, in planning a recent trip to Cape Cod, I began looking for a book to read. At first I wandered through Barnes & Noble, waiting for something to catch my eye. On one of the tables, I discovered Judy Blume’s newest release, In The Unlikely Event. I picked it up and thumbed through it. It looked good, but it was too long for me to read in four days. Still, my search had been narrowed. I love Judy Blume, and I decided to […]

Continue reading
Old Photos

What To Do With Old Photos

My family wasn’t good at keeping albums. Over the years, our collection of old photos piled up in a cardboard Avon box that lived in the attic. Every so often, the bulging box would make an appearance and my mom, sister and I would paw through the printed pics. We’d smile and reminisce as we passed around images of days gone by. Pictures from my parents’ wedding were in that box too. They were protected by a brown paper bag at the bottom of the pile. Sometimes we’d bring those into the light as well. For me, those photos were simply […]

Continue reading