Opinion / Guest Commentary
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That age old query: What's in a name?
A college friend of mine is going to be a first-time grandparent soon and wants to suggest baby names. Names. Funny thing about names ... I have a group of friends, and,... — Updated 1/26/2022
No way to prepare for all the 'mom' moments
Some things, they don't warn you about. Others, even things you'd rather not know, are shared in abundant detail - labor and delivery experiences, kids' test scores, social gaffes.... — Updated 1/12/2022
A little more magic, if you please
As I write this article, I'm in the throes of "the most wonderful time of the year." My kitchen island is littered with barely-legible to-do lists, package deliveries are coming in... — Updated 1/5/2022
Bon temps, part deux
Your cares will disappear When you hear Hallelujah St. Nicholas is here When it’s Christmas time In New Orleans In a column last March, I summarized my travelogue recollections... — Updated 12/29/2021
Holiday classic's message endures
Every holiday season I am thankful I am able to cozy up around the fire with family and friends and rewatch the holiday classics. Images of Clark Griswold hanging lights, the Kranks getting a tan at the mall and Buddy the Elf... — Updated 12/22/2021
Life is worthwhile if you just smile
I smile more to gain ... less. As cheesy as it may sound, I have just started smiling more. (To be honest, my life is pretty great right now). I smile when I wake up early in the mo... — Updated 12/8/2021
The turn signal column
On our National Day of Thanks, I would like to send out a special message of appreciation to the woman who managed to not kill me when I was out for a run a couple weeks ago. When... — Updated 11/23/2021
Practicing kindness for kindness' sake
Today, I thought I'd tap into my intellectual grandiosity to present a philosophical theory. A question of id vs. ego, thought vs soul, good vs evil. Or maybe, if I could entice... — Updated 11/17/2021
Best advice to you? Talk wordy to me
Word nerd. Grammar geek. Vocabulary vigilante. Take your pick. They've all applied to me since, well, forever. As a toddler, my parents regularly found me cuddling Golden Books inst... — Updated 11/10/2021
Falcon fundraiser a true celebration marking 50 years
I write to thank Hinsdale Falcon Football & Cheer and “Falcons Nation” for a wonderful fundraising celebration this past Friday night. A special thank you to event organizers and benefactors Nadine and Bill O’Malley, Kay and... — Updated 11/10/2021
Kondo's 'Guide to Essay Writing'
It's that time of year for seniors - college application season. College applications are many things, one of which is not easy. Speaking from experience, they're a bit of a chore... — Updated 10/27/2021
Fear-of-Death Diet really works
With the holidays right around the corner, it's time to consider The Fear-of-Death Diet. Of all the diets I've tried, none has been more successful than The-Fear-of-Death Diet. It's... — Updated 10/20/2021
A reintroduction after writing hiatus
I never expected to be where I am now. And I am everything I expected I would be now. I never thought I would be a single mom now. And I know I am a better parent because of that no... — Updated 10/13/2021
Good boy, Cody, good boy
The room where my husband Mark and I wait with our dog Cody is sterile and smells like antiseptic. It never bothered me before, but now the bare beige walls and steel table seem... — Updated 10/6/2021
College drop-off tears short lived
I can't help but chuckle at all the recent social media posts from parents dropping off their freshman kids at college. Could you people be any weepier? Come on! It's not like... — Updated 9/29/2021
Finding meaning in the space between
Years ago, when I began writing for The Hinsdalean, I was asked to introduce myself in a short column. I described myself with a string of nouns: “wife,” “mother,... — Updated 9/22/2021
That pesky 'just' doesn't bother me
As I'm sure was the case for many, this summer marked my family's maiden voyage from Hinsdale in 18 months. It was our first plane ride, first meal in a restaurant and first time... — Updated 9/15/2021
The girl with the most cake
Actual texts from my high school senior on the day Lollapalooza tickets went on sale back in May. 10:51 a.m.: Do.Not.Forget.Lolla.Tickets.Get.On.The.Website.At.11:58.And.Be.Ready. 1... — Updated 9/8/2021
The suburban dad Olympiad
"Welcome to the Hinsdale Community Pool! It's a scorcher out here today, Diane, and the competition is really heating up!" "You're right there, Bill. If you're just joining us,... — Updated 9/1/2021
We need more lovies in the world
My teenage boys will never forgive me for “The Velveteen Rabbit.” They insist they remain emotionally scarred, more than a decade after first hearing it. “But the rabbit... — Updated 8/25/2021
The dog days of COVID
Five years ago this August I wrote a guest column about the passing of our beloved yellow lab, Sam Adams. A heartbreak for all of us, but as it turns out, our hearts were again captured by another yellow lab, this time a puppy... — Updated 8/18/2021
In a mood? You're not alone
I'm in a mood - and not a good one. I read the papers, look on the internet, get in my car, watch TV, and it seems almost everywhere I go, people are in a mood too. The world is... — Updated 8/11/2021
This old house has story to tell
The house next door to us is going to be torn down. I know that isn't news in this town where old homes are torn down everyday. But there are many things that happen all the time -... — Updated 8/4/2021
Embracing a new chapter
When I last wrote an article for the paper, I had just finished my senior year of high school and was getting ready to begin a new chapter of my life at the University of Georgia.... — Updated 7/28/2021
Swing and a miss launch love affair
It was a bright June day. Prior to that moment, I had never wielded a golf club in my 31 years of life. It was my turn to tee off, and I stepped up to the golf ball, took my first... — Updated 7/21/2021
