Dear Lulu, When I was a young girl, not much older than you are now, I used to peek out through a crack in my curtains waiting for a neighbor to wander by. When I did spy a movement I used to hurl myself against the window, furiously shaking the curtains until I slumped onto the floor. Then I would
Read moreEvan and Lulu, I told this story live in front of hundreds of people at Story Story Night (a storytelling program) 1.5 years ago. The them of the program was “Happiness”. I realized tonight that I hadn’t documented it for you to someday read when you get old enough to fully recognize how mortifying this all was. There is no
Read moreI want to write a book. I want to sit down at my computer day after day, or maybe night after night, realistically weekend after weekend, and write truths, or half truths, or things with no truth at all. I want to scream when someone tells me it matters. Cry when someone tells me it doesn’t. Keep going regardless of
Read moreDear Evan and Lulu, I have your names and the date I found out I was pregnant with each of you tattoo’d on my forearms. It surprises people for a number of reasons. First, who gets tattoos on their forearms? Second, when they read “Lora Lu” upside down they constantly mistake it for saying “LoVa Lu.” Third, why wouldn’t
Read moreDear Mr. Zimmerman, I never thought I would be a kid person. I was never one of those children that pretended to be a mother. I didn’t dream of weddings, plan baby names, and I rarely even babysat actual children. I was the youngest child and I spent more time being coddled than I ever spent thinking about parenting. How
Read moreDear Evan, Seven years ago I sat down for a 4th of July dinner, ate an entire watermelon with a side of contractions, and stayed awake in misery for the next 26 hours until you were born. From the minute I first saw you I knew that I was in trouble. Not only because you were painfully beautiful and fresh,
Read moreTo the outnumbered one You were surrounded by a lifetime of girls. To the jokester one Who pulled on ears and curls. To the responsible one Spending years in night school over time. To the wild one Who encouraged us girls to climb. To the quiet one That learned how to listen and learn. To the disciplinary one Who rarely
Read moreI’m flooded with memories when I think about how we got to that moment on the beach. I’m thinking of our first date. Indian food, small smiles, and lots of nervous laughter. How I wasn’t sure I’d actually see you again until you emailed me your schedule a few hours after we parted ways to show me when you would
Read moreDear Girls, There are many things that people do not tell you before you become a parent. They might tell you the first few lines of the story, but they leave out the protagonist and subplot entirely. I, however, believe in telling full truths when I tell stories, so I will spare you no details. For example, you may hear
Read moreDear Lulu, Many years ago lived a man with dreams, ideas and words so big that some of the world couldn’t handle his greatness. His words were so powerful that 44 years after they were gone, you sat on my lap listening to them and shed a handful of tears when you heard he was killed. You were confused and
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Chop Wood, Carry Water 