My son's body came home on Memorial Day in 2007, I hate Memorial Day, and I have to admit, it drives me nuts when people see it as the start of summer Continue Reading
An Afghan-Muslim Woman Who Touched a Gold Star Mom’s Soul
An ethnic grocery store in Denver, CO with its name printed over its façade in three different languages compels me to stop and shop each time I drive Continue Reading
Do Educated Moms Raise Terrorists?
On Mother's Day, I read about the bombing of the girl's school for the Hazaras in Kabul and I wept. The death toll has risen to 85. A part of my heart Continue Reading
The Reality of Mother’s Day: A Time to Weep and Mourn, Laugh and Dance
My sweetest and most painful Mother’s Day was our family’s first Mother’s Day as a single-parent family. As a newly single mom, Mother’s Day was Continue Reading
Dreading Mother’s Day: Finding Solace in Brotherhood and Sisterhood
This first appeared in The Havok Journal on May 8, 2016. Mother’s Day... at the first mention in the week leading up to Mother’s Day my conscious Continue Reading
From Ritual to Reality: Because He Lives
This first appeared in The Havok Journal on March 27, 2016 My annual nostalgia of Easter now blossoms in reverse. My firstborn was killed in Continue Reading
Do You Love Yourself Enough?
February 14th observes the ultimate, hyped-up holiday of ‘love.’ My first Valentine’s Day after discovering my husband’s unfaithfulness, he spewed, Continue Reading
A Simple Heartfelt “Thank You” from a Ranger Gold Star Mom
This article was originally published on November 11, 2015, and is updated regularly. _____ It’s been five years and 20 days since my son Kristoffer Continue Reading
The Gifts of Brokenness
Brokenness was not on the top of my Christmas list. The ornaments defining our family tree lay shattered. The ragged edges of devastation replaced the Continue Reading
“Sex is Like a Cheeseburger”: The National Sexual Menu
Sex is like a cheeseburger. Today’s X-rated society has reduced sex to the value of a fast food cheeseburger—hot, fast and cheap. Order it any way you Continue Reading
Trigger Happy
After I discovered letters from my husband’s mistress, I bought an imaginary .357 Magnum. Wanna know why I chose that gun? One bullet goes through two Continue Reading
What’s It Like to Kill a Man?
I know I’m not supposed to talk about this, so here goes . . . . I sensed a mom is not supposed to ask her son, “Have you killed anyone?” But I Continue Reading