Charles wrote an evocative comment in response to the post called Lovely. I will repeat what Charles wrote. I suspect that Charles’ comment could apply to many lives, the unhappy families who do not seem to appreciate each other and all the close loving families that do appreciate each other. What makes a family one way or another? What made Santhan’s family so loving and generous and other families less loving? (more…)

Generally speaking, it is easier for my daughter Lauren to give than to receive. This is not to compare Lauren to my mother, for there is no comparison. Nevertheless, Lauren gives a lot. She is good at filling others’ needs and has a certain tendency to resist letting others fill her own needs.

Many years ago, when Lauren was in the hospital, (more…)

In Russia where my mother, at the age of four washed clothes in the river to earn money for the family, life was hard, and my mother did not have much experience in receiving.

I also believe it was a custom back then to refuse something when you were first offered. Some kind of good manners in those times in Russia.

Somehow (more…)

It was easy for my mother to give, and she gave a lot. It was, on the other hand, hard for her to receive. And she made it hard for us, her children to give to her. She made it hard for anyone to give to her.

To carry a package for her was a struggle, for example. “It’s all right,” she would say, “I’ll do it.” Eventually, if we fought enough, and she could let us help her carry a bag of groceries, we were worn out by then so that any joy we might have had was gone. There was something in my mother that (more…)

My hair was very straight. My mother must have dreamed of a daughter with Shirley Temple curls. (more…)

I don’t think in terms of dates. Someone can ask me: “How many years ago was it since such and such happened?” And I have no idea. I may know it was a long time or not so long ago, but years blur for me.

Someone might say, “What year did that happen?”I am a total blank. (more…)

Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

God in Heavenletters™ says that life is but illusion. He says that a lot.

Lately, that’s what I’m experiencing. (more…)

In response to Heavenletter #3692, The Image You See, someone wrote in and said:

“There is a righteous anger which arises from being maligned & vilified. It’s not about lowering yourself to take the (more…)

You know that my mother worked long hard hours in the store with my father. There was hardly time for me to know my mother when I was a child.

Yet, unbidden, some memories of food that she would make on the spot have been pouring into my mind. ‘Tis the season for nostalgia.

One thing she would make in a hurry (more…)

With my father, justice is big and quiet. (more…)