Earlier this summer, I ate a piece of red meat. It was the first time I had eaten meat in two-and-a-half years, and for a while after, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. My boyfriend had given me a tiny sliver of beef from his enchillada after I made a deal with him. “l knowContinue reading “My not-so-simple response to the question: ‘So, why did you become a vegetarian?’”
Tag Archives: Personal writing
14 years later, still finding signs that Mom’s with me
This Sunday, my Mom would have been 55. She died all too early at age 40 after a battle with breast cancer that robbed her of the ability to accomplish all her goals in life. The cancer weakened her physically, but it taught her to be a fighter — to bear the side effects ofContinue reading “14 years later, still finding signs that Mom’s with me”
Comments from last week’s post a motivation to keep moving forward
Whenever I write about my relationship with food and my mom, I’m always humbled by the number of people who send me messages to say they related to what I wrote about. My last blog post — a narrative comprised of several personal essays I’ve written throughout the years — generated a lot of meaningfulContinue reading “Comments from last week’s post a motivation to keep moving forward”
Learning to heal from the loss of my mom, struggles with food
I’ve been writing personal essays about my mom for three and a half years now and am constantly reminded of how much I love to keep her memory alive through writing. Now, I’ve taken all of those essays and strung them together. I plan to build on the narrative so that I can eventually turnContinue reading “Learning to heal from the loss of my mom, struggles with food”
When moms say ‘you’re gorgeous,’ they mean ‘I love you’
I like to think that my Mom, who died of breast cancer when I was 11, sends me signs. When I’m thinking about her or am in need of a hug, I’ll sometimes hear Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You” — the song she dedicated to me before she died — on the radio. OnContinue reading “When moms say ‘you’re gorgeous,’ they mean ‘I love you’”
Funny take on where the Babysitters Club girls are today
I couldn’t help but smile when I saw this Awl story about what the members of the Babysitters Club are up to these days. Growing up, I was a huge Babysitters Club fan and even started my own club. I hung up handmade flyers around town to make the locals aware of my babysitting skillsContinue reading “Funny take on where the Babysitters Club girls are today”
Finding the (real) recipe for mom’s macaroni and cheese
This week I started reading “Stuffed,” a food memoir by Patricia Volk. The book is a tribute to Volk’s family members and the food they made her growing up. Each chapter, which is named after a special type of food, is about a different family member. One of the things I love about the bookContinue reading “Finding the (real) recipe for mom’s macaroni and cheese”
Starting off 2011 with a fresh perspective, new goals
It’s been a while since my last post. For the month and a half leading up to Christmas, I felt as though life kept sprinting ahead of me and I couldn’t keep up. We had just redesigned the website I write for — Poynter.org — and we were short-staffed at the time. I needed toContinue reading “Starting off 2011 with a fresh perspective, new goals”
Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Providence College’s Student Newspaper, The Cowl
Last weekend I spoke at the 75th anniversary of my alma mater’s student newspaper, The Cowl. The coordinators of the event asked me to write about how my experience as editor-in-chief of the paper helped prepare me for my job as a journalist. I talked about this, but I also wanted to explain why it’sContinue reading “Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Providence College’s Student Newspaper, The Cowl”
Running the Komen Race for the Cure in Honor of my Mom, Aunt
On Oct. 2, I’ll be running in the Florida Suncoast Komen Race for the Cure. It’s a race that’s near and dear to my heart, as my mother and my maternal aunt both died of breast cancer at a young age. My mom was only 39 when she passed away, and my aunt was inContinue reading “Running the Komen Race for the Cure in Honor of my Mom, Aunt”
Word on the Street 