stress of being a mother – SUZANNE RUDD HAMILTON

Rules of the Roadtrip

While traversing the vast regions of the USA on a month long roadtrip in the 70s, my parents had a lot of rules of the road. You can only eat at McDonald’s, Howard Johnson’s or Burger King. My mom believed big corporations and franchises were always reliable. She had no interest in local flavor. WeContinue reading “Rules of the Roadtrip”

A Good Deed

It was a cold and icy winter day. There was no snow on the ground, but the temperatures plummeted below zero for the prior week. A perfect recipe for ground ice. 17-year-old Greg woke early at 7am on Saturday morning and groggily bundled up to go to swimming practice. Mr. Herbert, Greg’s swim coach, insistedContinue reading “A Good Deed”

Sweet Little Lies

“Mirror mirror on the wall… who doesn’t want to look in this mirror at all,” Grace said as she looked at herself in the dressing room mirror, disgusted. “Come on, Mom. How long does it take to try on a bathing suit. Let’s see,” her daughter Ashley yelled from outside the dressing room. Grace frozeContinue reading “Sweet Little Lies”

I Left A Lot in San Francisco: Tales from the Backseat Episode 7

The difference between being a preteen and a child on a family vacation is like the comparing Mount Everest to the dirt hill kids jump their bikes over. It’s a continental divide. During my preteen years, I wanted to be cool and strived to seem grown-up. And I definitely did not want to act likeContinue reading “I Left A Lot in San Francisco: Tales from the Backseat Episode 7”

Darkness Within

The dark sky loomed, relentlessly following every step, blocking every turn. I never thought I could feel so powerless. How could the world twist so out of control that it would target my child? I’ve always trailed my own unconventional path, but I can’t imagine what it feels like to be trapped in your ownContinue reading “Darkness Within”

Mothers and Children

I’ve been a mother for over thirty years now and a daughter for nearly twice that. On Mother’s Day, I found myself contemplating the juxtaposition of being a child and a mother. When you were a child, you often do things your mother doesn’t like or makes it challenging for her to be yourContinue reading “Mothers and Children”

Scramble

I saw a pile of Scrabble tiles in a Facebook picture recently on my 5 minute social media break, otherwise known as my bathroom break, and thought, what if you could turn up the tiles you wanted in life, instead of the random ones you pull out of the bag. If you have you everContinue reading “Scramble”

Mary-Go-Round

Mary-Go-Round “In ten miles, turn left at Exit 104,” said the kindly GPS voice. After school, Katie has band practice, then Holly has dance, and Robbie has to get to guitar lessons, Mary thought. Do I have a lasagna in the fridge for dinner? Mary’s daily commute gave her ninety whole minutes to herself eachContinue reading “Mary-Go-Round”