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The Day My Thanksgiving Failed
“Can’t we try new recipes this Thanksgiving please!” my daughter asked. “We always eat the same dishes.” “I know,” I said. “I have a bunch of new recipes that look delicious, but I end up cooking our family traditional ones. I guess it makes me feel closer to those that’re so far away. “Do you remember our first Thanksgiving in this town?” I asked. “Not really,” she said. “Just that we were all alone. What happened?” Well, this is the story of our first Thanksgiving here… …
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Angel on the Sidewalk
The bright sun and blue skies screamed Spring that Saturday afternoon. “I’m so sorry I can’t help you,” my husband said as he hugged me tight,” but you know that medical residents are expected to work long shifts and get no free weekends during first year of training.” We were in a new country, a new city and had no friends, which forced me to navigate my way through our new reality on my own. I grabbed the Yellow Pages, the only resource before cell phones and GPS’ existed, searching for a park in the area. Venturing out was an attempt to calm my lonely heart as much as our…
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The Day Freedom Came
“I can’t believe I still have a curfew!” I ranted as my younger sisters watched in silence. “I can’t wait to go to college so I can be free! And you know what I’ll do? I’ll watch TV till midnight, I’ll eat pizza and coke for breakfast, and I’ll even skip classes if I want to!” Leaving home for college is nearly every teenager’s dream. Attending university looks like the door that leads to freedom. But for me, leaving home was not what I expected it to be. My mom and I found my freshman dorm and I ran up the stairs to look for my new room- my ticket…
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The Red Door
I walked through the glass doors into the cosmetics department, where the elegant sales ladies holding perfume bottles lined the way. Closing time was twenty minutes away. I had no time to waste, so I walked hurriedly, avoiding any eye contact. “Would you like a sample?” A hand came out of nowhere and placed a piece of white paper in my hand. “Let me know what you think. It’s on sale this weekend.” I smiled at the sales lady, thanked her graciously, and looked around for a trash can. My nose caught a whiff of the fragrance as I was about to throw it away. Suddenly I was transported back…
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The Day I (Almost) Ruined our Vacation
“Let’s go mom, everybody’s waiting in the car!” My daughter tugged on my shorts and pointed to the garage as I checked the white straw bag. “I’m coming honey! I don’t want to forget anything. I just have to check the doors and windows to make sure they’re locked.” I squeezed on to the passenger seat and searched for a place to fit my cargo. Toys, towels, sunscreen lotion and goggles fought for a place in the bag, imitating the children in the back seat. “Relax, honey, you’re too stressed” my husband smiled and stroked the back of my head. “We’re not moving there. You don’t have to pack the…
