At a recent family reunion, my sister and I reminisced about our childhood family gatherings. Gayle asked, "Do you remember how old we thought our great aunts and uncles were?" I chuckled...

Imagine you arrive as an immigrant in America, newly widowed, grieving the death of your infant daughter. You are  forty years old, alone in a foreign country and responsible for the care of your nine...

I was 18 years old and  thought I was in love.  My boyfriend was deployed to Germany and when he came home in December he wanted us to get married.  I would return to Germany with him.  I announced my plans to my father (I chose this moment carefully - my mother was away on a retreat).  Instead of putting his..