Or, why the season of giving is a special kind of fresh hell for people like me — Peering discretely through the peephole in my front door, I don’t move a muscle as I watch our mailman, Sam, approach. I don’t want him to see me, which is downright silly because this man knows exactly who I am, where I live, and what I do. He has delivered…

The little earthquakes aren’t the real problem; I suspect my parenting is — You’re spoiled. And you don’t have a clue. That’s what I’m thinking, but, luckily, I’m able to summon the self-control to prevent myself from saying it. No, I decide to keep the insult inside my head where it belongs. After all, I’ve helped raise her, so I’m ultimately to blame. …

Yes, words can cut like a knife, but saying nothing at all is a form of abuse that can hurt far worse. — I was white-knuckling it. I was trying my best not to cry. I swallowed hard, stared through the passenger window, and attempted to distract myself — all while burning hot tears threatened to escape the rims of my eyes. The silence was deafening. Few scenarios are more nerve wracking than…

Not everything should be passed down. Here’s how to put an end to actions that may no longer serve you — I know what we’ve been told. But let’s be real: This often isn’t the most wonderful time of the year. It can be, however, the most uncomfortable. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no scrooge. I love a sugar cookie, the smell of Fraser fir, and the nostalgia evoked by many…

Don’t even try to change my mind — So, I put up my Christmas tree a few days ago. Yup, I’m that person. We left my daughter’s youth basketball game at noon on Saturday, and by 2:30 p.m. I had Mariah Carey’s Christmas album blaring from the Google Nest Mini while I schlepped boxes of ornaments up the…

It’s half timing, half luck, and 100% the thrill of the hunt — Did you hear about the recent thrift store marvel in New Hampshire? It was incredible. The stuff of which thrifting lore is made… Apparently, an unsuspecting woman walked into her local thrift store, spied a dusty old painting she thought was pretty neat, and then handed over a five-dollar bill…

Something wasn’t right about two older men with a younger girl — “If you’re not early, you’re late.” Those are the words of my late grandfather, a World War II veteran whose post-war profession as a mechanic made him a stickler for promptness. He’d be proud that, decades later, his wisdom has woven its way into my household’s morning routine, which needs…

And it’s a bonus that I’m a girl — The following are three echoes from my youth: “You only need one child to be a mother.” “You are always so conscientious, Anne. Nobody can ever say anything bad about you.” “I’m very sensitive — always have been.” These are all words from my mother, who dropped hints like breadcrumbs…

The last thing you do is hide — Friday, March 13, 2020 — Donning latex gloves and holding my breath as best I could, I make a mad dash into my children’s elementary school to retrieve worksheets compiled by their teachers. I’m not exaggerating in the slightest when I say that I’m afraid for my life. Wednesday, June…