After neglect, sexual and physical abuse, wholeness is possible. Christine “Cissy” White of Weymouth has transformed fear and secrecy into a vibrant love of self and others. The act of writing aided her triumph. An activist for other survivors, she founded Heal Write Now, which shares recovery from the inside out through writing. Writing to […]
On the beach 10-year-old Bella forms an “arena” in the sand. Lulu, age 7, runs over with a yellow pail of crabs. The two largest gladiators are placed on their backs in the arena, and I’m told, “The first one to turn over, wins. Go!” Claws scrambling, a sudden winner, shrieks and laughter from my […]
Father’s Day. For those with loving fathers, it’s a time of gratitude. For others who don’t know their dads, it hurts. A single mom told me, “I’ll never get married. I’d rather raise my kids alone. I don’t need some man making my life miserable.” I said, “Maybe you feel that way because you’ve never […]
I talked to fifth-graders at Tucker School in Milton about the art of opinion writing. Those ten-year-olds were taller than I am! It took me back to 1965 when some kids in my own fifth grade used to call me “shrimp,” “midget” or “tiny tot.” Ah, childhood and its future effects on self-expression. As a […]