Graduation — a milestone
Isabella’s first request for her graduation from the Banyan School was Aunt Joan and Uncle Donald’s attendance. Since her grandparents are no longer with us, Isabella (and the rest of the family) has looked to my father’s brother and his wife as our wise elders. It’s a reminder of the importance of the generational connection. I was lucky enough to have four grandparents until I was 16. My paternal grandfather passed away only seven years before his son, my father. He was a vital force in the lives of all 12 of his grandchildren. The graduation went off without a […]
Learning through fear (the parents)
Today marks the fourth time that Isabella has gone off on her own unexpectedly. The first was probably the most serious. She was just four years old and had just learned to use the bathroom. She was with my sister at a street fair. Yes, a street fair — every parent’s nightmare locus for a missing child, perhaps only second to a mall. (Isabella became lost there once several years back while on my watch.) At the street fair, she was looking for a bathrrom. After jumping up onto vendors’ tables and screaming her name, I found Isabella crying in a one of those […]
Following the path
Because we have teenagers and because we live in metropolitan NY, our children have friends of all races, religions, and ethnicities. As a family, we have attended several bar and bat mitzvahs over the past years. The functions following the ceremonies have ranged from somewhat basic (none were at home parties, however) to affairs to remember (more like weddings). What had the most impact for me was not the high-end table service and wonderful food at one event in particular. It was the bat mitzvahs of two girls from Isabella’s class that really got me. Okay, have you ever been […]
Making gluten-free cupcakes
It’s the annual Feast at Isabella’s school and she thought it would be a good idea to have a gluten-free treat for her class. Well, probably really for her, but she’s a generous soul. So we embarked upon the baking. Per usual, my kitchen does not have all the necessary ingredients. No butter. Isabella offered to go around the corner to buy the butter. She has never gone to the store. It involved crossing a street. She asked how much butter cost. Do not know, but it must be less than five bucks. Off she went. I looked at the […]
Using what you’ve got
My mother had a talent that few possess today. She could find a meal — a delicious meal — in anyone’s kitchen. This included the kitchen’s of owners who proclaimed, “There’s nothing to eat for dinner.” This trait is termed resourcefulness and probably extended to other areas of her life. She certainly used it as a New York City school teacher with limited resources. Sorta like Maria in The Sound of Music without the use of curtain fabric for clothing. Children with special needs do this everyday, all day. Without all the requisite skills for a task, these children figure […]