My sister’s been dead to me for years, but last fall she decided to finally make it official. Funny, it wasn’t the decades of abusing crack and heroin that did her in after all. She slipped in the shower, broke her ribs, and came down with pneumonia in the hospital. (Like mother, like daughter, if you … Continue reading My sister finally died (for real)
I know that sounds ridiculous. Maybe you don’t believe me; I mean, money has never been a huge concern for me as an adult. I owe a debt of gratitude to Geoff for working so hard to make that possible. But trust me when I tell you that money is a struggle for me. Or, … Continue reading I hate money
I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone this story, but once my Bubbie made me pee in a bucket. I was, what, maybe eight at the time? I can’t remember how old I was. I only remember that I was over at her house on one of my visits. I’d spent the night and it … Continue reading Did your Grandma ever make you pee in a bucket?
I don’t want to freak you out, but there was a time that I used to store dead bodies down there. Not just any bodies, don’t worry. And not so many, only three. I live in an old house with a full-height cellar. In the last few years, we’ve had the basement waterproofed and finished. … Continue reading I used to have a cellar
My mom was murdered by a used-car salesman. If my mom were telling you this story, it would be a comedy. She would twist her heartbreak into dark tendrils of humor until you were on the floor laughing. But she’s dead, so I will try to do it justice. My mom died under mysterious circumstances … Continue reading Encore
It dawns on me that I don’t know how to tell you about my mom. Should I start with her untimely death or with her sad beginning? Should I tell you about her mistakes or her million miniscule victories? Should I start with the day she wished her father dead when she was five or … Continue reading My mom was murdered by a used-car salesman
Hear me out, I have a theory. Girls end up like their moms, right? If your mom is a neat freak, you will probably be one too. You probably still remember the little red dress that your mom slipped on for date nights. Maybe you were unlucky enough to have a crazy mom who didn’t … Continue reading Mean girls come from mean grandmas
When Geoff’s grandma calls me, I never answer the phone. No, wait, it’s not what you think. I love Geoff’s grandma. For simplicity, let’s call her Grandma. Grandma is everything that my Bubbie wasn’t. She’s loving, kind, friendly, funny. She’s delightful. I’ve felt close to her since Geoff and I started dating. Honestly, she inspires … Continue reading Life and death
We visited her at the nursing home just a few days before she died. I was 25, yet I remember it so clearly. Geoff drove, and my aunt stayed back because there wasn’t enough room in the car. Bubbie had sent instructions, of course: Bring Hershey bars. We stopped at Rite Aid on the way, … Continue reading Maybe I had it right all along
When I was a kid, about seven or eight, before things began to truly fall apart, I believed. I believed that everything would always stay the same. I was eight when my dad died, so it must have been before that. I was eight when my mom had a fight with Geoff’s mom and they … Continue reading Why do I want the impossible?
