PORTUGAL, LAND OF SUN AND SARDINES
A tribute to my native country and generations of a family friendship
THE TIARA
Halos, crowns, tiaras, wreaths—what symbols of reverence! I chose the irreverent path and never looked back.
A MAP OF MARRIAGE ON MONHEGAN ISLAND
Most publications look for a timely connection and an edge when accepting a piece, something that is often the generator of my essays. But every once in awhile, there is a piece that you have to write simply because it’s what you feel, no matter the correlation to current events, …
THE PROM
Before mani-pedis were affordable, before limos were the chariots of choice, before the first kiss of the night was the breathalyzer you put your lips on, the spring prom was a rite of passage, sometimes for drinking, sometimes for sex, for wearing a gown or that first French kiss mangled in braces.
A MAP OF MARRIAGE ON MONHEGAN ISLAND
We fell in love when our bodies were still whole, long before children, long before the map of our lives was etched with medical detours. Now Uli and I step off the boat and onto Monhegan Island, just as we arrived from Boston in 1994 for our honeymoon, elated from our wedding.
A CIRCLE OF NEW LIFE FOR A LEAF
The journey an autumn leaf takes -from its dance to the earth to the new circle of life as a condolence card.
UNTAMED FORESTS AND CURIOUS BROWN BEARS
Not many families would hike through the wild woods of Estonia, clouded in humidity and mosquitos to observe brown bears at the height of summer in August. But mine did.
THE SOAP OPERA
As a teenager I thought my strict Portuguese parents’ aim was to make me look as ugly as possible. But their ultimate goal was getting me to the altar, still a virgin.
They failed miserably.
A PANDEMIC COUNSELOR’S ADVICE
As we approach the end of the pandemic, we may need some tips on how to reenter the in-person world. Here is some advice.
WHAT A JUVENILE ARTHRITIS DIAGNOSIS REALLY MEANS FOR KIDS AND PARENTS from Parents.com
Juvenile arthritis (JA) affects nearly 300,000 children in the U.S. From symptoms to treatment, here’s everything parents need to know, including how my family found support while raising a child with JA.
THE PICNIC TABLE
PAGES PENNED IN PANDEMIC is a collective that brings together poetry, short stories, flash fiction, essays, and more-tangible reminders that something can always be made out of nothing, that transforming the tribulations and trials of the everyday into art is not only enough, it’s everything. All earnings from the print …
Boston Globe Magazine HOW THE PANDEMIC BROUGHT LIFE BACK INTO OUR LIVINV ROOMS
They were where we played games, read, and performed music before TV took over. As a piano teacher zooming in, I see family life thriving there once again.
REVERENCE AND RESISTANCE
What child would think of connecting God with Santa? Yours truly. And the results were life changing.
A RHEUMATOLOGIST AND A ROSE
No one wants the journey of chronic illness but if you choose your travel companions wisely you will find comfort, courage and care.
CAN-CER-VIVE
Surgeons are tough. But so am I. I would not be bullied into compromising my post-cancer care.
DONALD TRUMP IS CANCER
You can’t treat a political tumor with radiation or chemotherapy. But you can stop its spread with resistance and courage.