Together We Sing It’s a beautiful autumn day, but I’m crying in the car. Not because the song is sad, though it touches me. Dan Forrest’s choral pieces always do. I’m hearing this one for the first time, “Entreat Me Not To Leave You.” From unison to dissonance, first the women then the men join […]

COVID-19 Series #2 (April 2020) During WWII, my father fought in General Patton’s army on the European front. His three brothers also served overseas and all four boys sent their military paychecks home to their widowed mother and three sisters. The war went on for years and it was inconvenient for them. Their education was […]

Inside the Lines Covid Series #1 (March 2020) When the bell rang to end the kindergarten day, our teacher lined us up in small groups by neighborhood. A tall, grown up 8th grade boy stepped into our classroom from the hallway and stood beside her. He was wearing a strap across his chest with a […]

To me, a personal essay is just that—“the saying” of my personal thoughts, feelings, discoveries and questions.  When curious thoughts or grand ideas well up in me, I feel the urge to shape them into words. The longer I procrastinate the exploration of these ideas or feelings, the more they distract me. Writing an essay […]