By: Sandy Churchill “Put your blueberries in your bucket, Owen,” chimed a gentle mom to her sweet toddler. But Owen wasn’t convinced the bucket was the best place for his berries, as evidenced by his garbled response. Somehow he managed to contain the purple juice from spilling down his chin while his mother continued filling … More Conversations in a Blueberry Patch
By: Sandy Churchill People say grandparenthood holds a joy like no other experience—brimming with all the blessings of Mamahood but without the degree of worry and responsibility. Sure, we Mimis/Nanas/Grammys worry about our grandkids and want the best for them, but we get to embrace the fun, adventure, and memory-making moments without the all-nighters with … More Feeling Claimed as a Sign of Love
By: Sandra L. Churchill Call it the Pride and Prejudice-loving, timeless romantic in me, but there is nothing so endearing and charming as a hand-written letter. A note of encouragement, get-well card, or just-because friendship letter, thoughtfully penned and snail-mailed, is such a testament from one human to another that he or she matters. The … More You’ve Got Mail!
By: Cheryl Maguire Everyone wishes they had an Aunt Mimi. Somehow, I was lucky enough to have one. She was the type of aunt that would not only attend all your major life events, like your graduation and wedding, but did so donning a pantsuit, long before Hilary Clinton inspired #PantsuitNation. She even wore one … More My Dear Aunt Mimi
By: Cheryl Maguire *Please note: The story below is based on last year’s holiday season. While celebrating this year is much different, I hope to provide a reminder of the joy of family, and hopefully a glimpse of future holiday seasons. “Can we please host Thanksgiving dinner?” This is how I wanted to respond to … More A Holiday Humor Story
By: Sandy Churchill The year 2020 will go down in the history books as a wacky, upside-down time when nothing was normal, “socially-distant” became a buzzword, Zoom became a lifeline for school and work, and all of us became fashionably “masked.” While we did our best to take health precautions, adapt as much as possible, … More Silver Linings at a Covid Thanksgiving
We all know that family matters; but when your kids are grown that is when you really begin to understand it. … More Family First
By: Heather O’Neill I was having dinner one night a few years ago with two young men who I have known for the past 20 years. I met them when they were about 13 and they have now become part of our family. We were discussing some of the events that were happening across the … More I Can’t Raise My Kids To Be Colorblind
By: Heather O’Neill The scent of a cigarette stops me. I wonder if it’s from a red and white box. I think about his smirk and my heart aches. I wish I had more time with him. Wish I could hear his chuckle, the sound of his voice. Lean over and kiss his freshly shaven, … More Missing My Dad …
By: Cheryl Maguire In an attempt to break the deafening teen silence during breakfast, I began a conversation. “So I saw a meme . . .” Laughter erupted from my twin teens. “It’s pronounced MEEEM, not MEH-MM. You sound like Elle’s mom who said MeeMee,” my teen daughter corrected me. Just for the record—I’m not … More Mom Inspired YouTube Challenges
Community Voices for Health 