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Hello. My name is Denise and I have struggled with alcohol all my adult life. And by "struggled" I mean I have never been able to convince myself that the stuff tastes good and is worth the calories. I would love to enjoy an occasional glass of wine with family and friends. But I've learned that drinking the wine isn't the problem; it's the "enjoying" bit. And I've tried. For years. And I'm envious of those who find something delicious and soothing in those cool-looking and in...
David Dragon was 16 years old when he secretly traversed the sewers of the Warsaw Ghetto, defiantly risking capture by the Nazis, to scavenge scraps of food. He brought back whatever little he could find to feed his parents and siblings. Yet despite his courageous efforts, his mother and father died of starvation. He was 19 when the Nazis captured him and sent him to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Amid the death and human suffering, he toiled laying the bricks that formed...
I don't know when it happened, but at some point a veil of unnecessary urgency settled over things. The school drop-off, the grocery store run, paperwork, laundry, meetings, phone calls, emails, texts, volunteering, helping with homework, preparing dinner and a smattering of extracurricular activities for every member of our household. All of these are chosen, worthy pursuits, yet overfilling our days with good things leaves little time to linger and the word "Hurry" on my lip...
My youngest son emerged from preschool recently sporting a huge grin. It wasn't an uncommon sight at pickup - he loves his school and is a smiley dude in general - but when he shouted, "MOM! GUESS WHY I HAD THE BEST DAY EVER!" before buckling himself into his carseat, I knew I was in for a treat. I inquired immediately. Did he get to be the line leader or the lunch helper? No. Was he fresh off constructing the largest Magna-Tile tower in the western suburbs? Nope. Could it be...
As a kid, Halloween was one of my favorite holidays. I loved the start of fall, the weather getting cooler and the leaves changing colors, as well as the spookiness of the season. But even more than that, I loved how Halloween made October feel so special. In the midst of a busy reality - with tests, homework and extracurriculars - the world just seemed more like a fantasy whenever the holiday came around. And Hinsdale always did the best job of making Halloween feel special....
One would think that a stint in the Chicago Tribune's fashion section with experts who covered runway shows in New York and Paris would have put me on a path to confident fashion choices. But no. Or to add a touch of faux sophistication: "Mais non." I have studied Pinterest posts on "7 easy pieces that will take you through Europe for 10 days" and still ended up filling a suitcase the size of a steamer trunk. More recently, an online fashion dive led me to "coastal...
I have always encouraged my daughters to be independent, strong-willed women. Life is too short to ignore your dreams and squander all that this world has to offer. "Spread your wings and show the world what you are capable of!" So when my daughter Katie graduated from college a little over a year ago, it didn't surprise me when she told me what her intent was. The master plan was to come home and work. Save up money and then eventually take the plunge and move to none other...
Several weeks ago, a friend was lamenting summer’s end as we drank margaritas on her deck. We chatted and watched the western sky glow. “Summer’s the best. Every year it’s a different story,” she said. “I hate to say it, but I’m glad it’s over,” I replied. It’s autumn now. I hope your summer was a magical story. Like following ribbons of roads on cross-country adventures. Hots dogs, sun and too much beer in the bleachers. Sleeping with the windows open, the invisible tree...
I stood in line at the grocery store behind a mother and her two young children. I watched her unload her cart and manage her kids with such serenity and patience that I confess, at first, I wondered if she was the nanny. She calmly denied requests for cereal for lunch, gently admonished her older child for hitting the younger one and lovingly coaxed off the floor her daughter, who was splayed on it like a snow angel. "You're doing a wonderful job as a mom," I told her,...
I didn't know Craig Kruse. Craig passed away on Sept. 9 from brain cancer. He was 50 years old, six years younger than me. He left behind a wife and three children, many family members and an untold number of friends. Until recently, what I knew of Craig came from previous news articles and his obituary. A resident of Clarendon Hills, he served as a trainer and strength and conditioning coach at Hinsdale Central High School. His myriad personal and professional accomplishments...
Picture a hammock: blue, suspended between two maples. From the end of the hammock protrude two feet. They are well-tanned and have not seen a shoe in days. Sunlight glistens through the swaying pine branches beyond, dancing across the lake on a million tiny waves. The Internet scarcely touches this part of Wisconsin's northwoods; even the most urgent email is powerless to penetrate the pines. Oh Outlook, where is thy ping? It's family week here for four parents, three...
When my oldest child Brian was a baby, I befriended a Hinsdale woman of my mother's generation named Rose. She gave me loads of practical advice about baby care and even babysat Brian at our home during what turned out to be strange and historical circumstances when a fire in a Hinsdale telephone center cut off most phone service in the surrounding area. My maternity leave ended when the outage began and, lacking access to a satellite phone, I was unable to call home from...
“Why are you being so weird?” my son asked me as we drove to the DMV to get his driver’s license. “I feel like it’s my last chance to teach you,” I said, as I hurriedly told him what to do when you encounter a funeral procession on the road. He gave me a sidelong look and nodded. “I know, Mom. I know how to drive.” To my kids, I’m that annoying, unwanted advice-giver. I know they want to be independent and make their own decisions, but I’m still teaching and safeguarding an...
Life is best lived with the confidence of a 6-year-old in a princess costume. Let me explain. My oldest daughter Gabriella has always been one for costumes, crowns and princesses. Born with an imaginative mind, she is an expert in magical thinking and storytelling. However, there was a time when I began to worry that her zealous love of princesses might have become too much. A few years ago, she brought home a "what I want to be when I grow up" project. As we began to work on...
Three years ago, I was looking to attend a college that felt like a step into the real world. I wanted to go to a place far from home. I wanted to meet new people who came from backgrounds different from mine. And I wanted an environment where people were filled with love and pride for their school and community. Attending the University of Georgia brought me everything I had been looking for - and then some. Going into my freshman year, I knew very few things about the place...
Sometimes I wonder whether Teri Goudie was a figment of my imagination. Surely, no one individual could embody so much love, energy and life. She was the stuff that tall tales are made of: Supermom of five, Professional Guru, Adventure Enthusiast, an absolutely tireless Seeker of Light. Do I make her sound intimidating? She wasn't. Warm and caring, Teri was a woman who simply loved her family, her work, her faith, her friends. She was buoyed up by a boundless energy that...
Editor’s note: — Bill Lewis first wrote this column in November 2017. “Mary” is really Teri Goudie, who died Friday after a courageous battle with cancer. She was 64. If there’s one thing I excel at, it’s being “right.” Just ask me (but not my wife). And I’m happy to tell you that, in case you don’t know. Don’t get me wrong, I know everyone has their own reasons for their beliefs. That’s why I’m always willing to help people realize why they’re wrong. What can I say? I’m...
The tweet by @samwightt gave me pause: “Chicago’s suburbs are an infinite purgatory of farmland and decrepit downtowns networked together by boring county roads.” Really, Sam? You want “boring county roads”? Pick a day in late winter and drive 400 miles southwest down I-57 to the flat, open farmland of southeast Missouri, where I grew up. At any other time I probably would have scrolled past this diss against the suburbs, which I know have issues. But “decrepit downtowns?” Also: I was in the middle of touring with and then...
I just can't stand the bitter cold Chicago winters. With each passing year, I am becoming less tolerant of the cold, the wind, the polar vortices, the bone-chilling wind chills and the short, dark days. And so, when the summer rolls around, I bask in the long, sunny days, and I no longer complain about the heat and humidity. 99 degrees with 99 percent humidity and excessive heat warning? Bring it on! 110 degree heat index? Is that all you can do? That said, it has been very...
LEGOS have been a part of my life as a mother for close to two decades. They have been barefoot torture instruments, irritating dust collectors and mostly sanity-saving distractions for "boring" days. They seem to multiply in the dark like gremlins. Recently, however, I saw a meme that made me view LEGOS in a new light. It has inspired a personal journey. If you put a single LEGO brick down on a board, it's fairly unimpressive. Add another, though and then more and,...
Thirteen years ago on a sunny June 4, we picked up our kindergartner (Colette) and first-grader from school. Our son, strapped in his stroller and turning 1 in two weeks, seemed unimpressed with the excitement surrounding "school's out for summer." The moment was memorialized in a favorite family photo capturing us on the sidewalk that leads to Madison Elementary's front entrance. Fast forward to the same spot on a recent Sunday in May, and many of Colette's kindergarten...
When you all read this, I will be on the verge of waltzing, pending cooperation from my heels and spotty coordination, across Dickinson Field for the last time. A freshly retired Red Devil. And, as with every milestone, I find myself increasingly fixated on the future. I have even started pondering what I will pack for college this fall and what perhaps, I will be leaving behind. 1. An Illinois sweatshirt. This will not garner any popularity among my new classmates, but every...
First, in this age of full disclosure, I disclose that I am ... you guessed it ... a dad. But my preference for Dad's Day over Mom's Day goes well beyond self-aggrandizement. Dad's Day is just more fun. Let's take a closer look. On Mom's Day, the whole family has to get up really, really early, get dressed in really, really uncomfortable clothes, and then rush off to be robbed. This robbery is commonly referred to as Mother's Day brunch. It's perpetuated by legions of hotels,...
I'm walking my dog by The Lane Elementary. As we approach, she eyes the bulky bulldogs guarding the front and goes down on her front paws, ready to play. But the dogs are made of concrete. Recent additions honoring the school's bulldog mascot, they are lovely. "Not real," I say on repeat. Trying to teach her a new command. She sniffs and realizes I'm right. We walk on. Cement dogs capture her curiosity. If you see a curious husky pulling toward your house to greet your dog...
Time is on your side. Don't waste it. If you know anything about me, you know I absolutely despise waste. Wasted money, wasted energy and perhaps worst of all, wasted time. I have zero tolerance for it. Our society today wastes way too much time worrying about, talking about and arguing about things that are completely out of our control. Take the weather, for instance. How horrible has our spring been so far? I don't know anyone who hasn't expressed their dismay about the...
