Watching her short life unfold broke my heart. — I was surprised it hatched at all. I had my eye on this chrysalis in my butterfly house. A normal chrysalis is a pale green smooth-to-the-touch cocoon with gold dots encircling the top. Out of the 50 butterflies I’ve raised, I’d never seen a chrysalis with black lines through it…

I grew to love gardening as much as she did. — My mom used to take pictures of her garden. To me, they were just photos of plants. Her albums hold beloved memories of her trees, flowers, and, occasionally, resident squirrels and birds. I always wondered why she did this. It’s not as if her little slice of landscape would try…

I am grateful now for that eye-opening toast — I had a friend! I couldn’t wait to tell my mom about Sarah. “Ich habe eine neue Freundin, Mama. Sie heißt Sarah.” I was only three and quite lonely. It was the mid-1960s, and my parents had worked seven days a week to buy their first house in America. They…

I couldn’t imagine taking care of my estranged mother myself. — Three of us sat knee-to-knee in the doctor’s office. It was a small room, too small to discuss something as enormous as the black shadows on my father’s lungs. He’d had a wet cough for a year, maybe even longer, and we waited for the bad news. The doctor explained…

There is no better balm. — The year started out unapologetically. Lung cancer had done its dirty work invisibly for a while and then explosively. My father died like he had lived, quickly and efficiently. His death left a vacuum in the care of my mother, who was beginning her walk through the labyrinth of dementia. …

They’re alive and well at your local pickleball court. — Although I have played for over a year, I am still learning the nuances of my new favorite game, pickleball. I’ve been winging it along with the other beginners at our local recreation center. None of us knew the game’s intricacies when we started, but we taught ourselves the basics…

Every kid adored my dad. — He is every kid’s favorite memory. When I was young, my father played endless games with the children visiting us. My parents loved to entertain, which usually meant I had some playmates for at least a few hours. My father had unlimited energy to rough-house with kids determined to beat…

Animal lovers, this is not ok. — The once universal joy of owning a pet is becoming an exclusive privilege reserved for a fortunate few. No one used to think much about how much it would cost to care for a pet, especially if they were adopting a stray from a shelter. These organizations have low fees…

It took 44 years to come full circle. — Who says girls with glasses don’t get passes? It was definitely me. I said it. I had just turned Sweet 16, and to my great disappointment, had never been kissed. No one would ever kiss a girl with glasses — I was sure of it. I would change all that…