Love (Emotion)

January 4, 2020

They All Said Yes

An engagement ring hidden in an elephant trunk in Southeast Asia. A golden eagle serving as a wingman for a prospective groom in Mongolia. A double […]
January 3, 2020

Trying to Keep Up With Grandma’s Love Life

Three years ago, my mother sent me a text that read, “Gramma Gert: 3, Jake: 0” — the joke being that her 80-year-old mother, Gert, was […]
December 31, 2019

Tiny Love Stories: A New Year’s Instagram Flirtation

The Flamingo Connection Peyton posted a picture with his flamingo, Lisa, wearing a Santa hat. Lisa had an Instagram account, so I followed it. He texted: […]
December 27, 2019

As the Ball Dropped, Our Life Fell Apart

Six years ago, on a frigid New Year’s Eve, my teenage daughter and I, along with our two cats, became homeless. Just before midnight, we closed […]
December 20, 2019

The Subway Crush Who Crushed Me

We met on the subway on a Saturday morning nearly 14 years ago. Our meeting had been a long time coming. He had been my subway […]
December 13, 2019

It Wasn’t Me He Wanted

Running my hands down my jeans as I waited for a drink, I thought, “Can a 22-year-old even be underdressed?” In my corduroy blazer and dark-washed […]
December 6, 2019

No Hearing Aids? Then No Marriage

Who celebrates her 52nd wedding anniversary and then, six months later, files for divorce? Me, it seems. And I’m not alone. Divorce rates for people 50 […]
December 3, 2019

Tiny Love Stories: ‘We Were So Fit, So Young, So Beautiful’

Clubbing With My Mother I was at the club with my mother. Earlier that day, I had moved back in with her. Single, 31, living with […]
November 29, 2019

Does It Matter How Many We Are?

When my son was in third grade, I went to his school for a pre-Thanksgiving Day concert. I found a folding chair next to a fellow […]
November 22, 2019

Face It, Mom and Dad: I’m Not Special

I come from a polite Midwestern family. We never argue. We acknowledge each other’s viewpoint and honor each other’s truth. But to the pantheon of complaints […]