It's a state of mind. It's a series of milestones. It's mostly about endings, about starting and finishing. On my seventh birthday, I told my mom I didn’t want any more. Somehow I knew life couldn’t get any better - that aging meant less of everything my life was then made of: sunlight and fresh air, running without … Continue reading Childhood

The homeless man holds a cardboard sign towards my car while I idle at a red light. I am struck by the artistry of the sign, the layout and penmanship. I want to open the window, I want to tell him how much I admire his work, but I have no cash, and I am … Continue reading Charity

We speak now of the brilliance of the child. The adults charged with his care and instruction are in turn overwhelmed, frustrated, baffled and amused. Is it better to dim the blinding light – shutter – control – contain, or should one let it shine? Release the lambent humor, the distinctive speech, and the radiant … Continue reading Brilliance

On the inside, it feels like necessity. It feels like someone is handing me a new toy and all I do is reach out and take it. It feels like seeing an open door and simply stepping through. It feels like a lifeline, a sharpened sword, the perfect tool, there when I need it most. … Continue reading Bravery

A pretty word for such a dreaded event. Ah, my poor face, the blood is your enemy now. Not so in days past when young capillaries filled and emptied with efficiency. Then, a blush was a lovely addition, a cut flower, a temporary enhancement. Not so now, my matured skin, an old sponge that should have … Continue reading Blush

“Any rough times are behind you.” The fortune cookie tells me, and I choose to believe it. Why not? I can believe that times will be good from now on, it harms no one and makes me happy. Joy fills my head and fills my day and maybe the next day and the next and … Continue reading Belief

Beauty is not a word I identify with. I was never the pretty one, I was smart, and smart was just as good. This does not imply that I feel ugly or un-beautiful. One's own sense of one's appearance is not a fact of black or white, regardless of one's skin. "Beauty comes from within," … Continue reading Beauty

We all have stories. Memories, experiences, events – all substantial. Stories are heavy. But I’d prefer it if you’d carry yours behind you. When you hold it all out in front like that, thrusting it into the room before you, it is distracting, it is all I can see. You, the real you, disappears. It … Continue reading Baggage

Do I hold anything to be self-evident? I doubt it. Power doesn’t always corrupt. Rich men are not always in want of a wife. Certainly not all men are born equal, I know too many losers. I’ve never seen a cloud with any sort of lining at all. I am even vaguely convinced that one … Continue reading Axiom