Mary Tyler Moore Song Inspires Mom
Why is it that every time I carry my groceries in a brown paper bag, I feel like Mary Tyler Moore and start to hum the theme song “Love Is All Around?†There’s something empowering about clutching a sack full of apples, ice cream, a carton of eggs, and Raisin Bran cereal with a stalk of celery and a bouquet of daisies sticking out of the top that makes me feel like I can conquer the world.
So to all you women who have the urge to sing in the supermarket parking lot or toss your headbands in the air when you’re in a crowded street, this one’s for you:
“Who can turn the world on with her smile?
Who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?
Well it’s you girl, and you should know it
With each glance and every little movement you show it
Love is all around, no need to waste it
You can have a town, why don’t you take it
You’re gonna make it after all
You’re gonna make it after all”
Mishegas Mom Prepares to Leave the Nest
I’ve been doing a lot of contemplating lately. In particular, I’m thinking about my column and how much Judaism and parenting go hand in hand. I’m also racking my brain to figure out where I put my cell phone, again. I’ve searched everywhere: my purse, my coat pockets, the key hanger in the laundry room, the front seat of the car, and even in the freezer under the cheese pizza. Seriously, I’ve found car keys in there before. Continue reading
Thank Your Mother for Your Birthday
Every year that my friend Rochelle celebrates her birthday, she gives her mother a gift. Why? Well, why not?
Motherhood is usually a thankless job, so a little token of appreciation makes perfect sense, even if a mom has to wait until her child is a grownup to receive a present. Continue reading
Motherhood Capture’s Nation’s Attention
It used to be that nobody gave a rat’s patooty about the daily grind of motherhood. After all, nothing’s glamorous about changing poopy diapers, crawling on the floor in search of a pacifier in the middle of the night, scrubbing crayon off walls, and accidentally packing a pomegranate wine cooler in a child’s lunch box. Continue reading
Mishegas’ Column Reaches Out to Jewish Community
If creativity is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration, then I’m sweating bullets.
I never know where my next idea for a column will come from—maybe after I read a good book, or decorate a sukkah in my backyard, or register Jack for high school, or watch the innauguration of the first African American president, I’ll be inspired once again in some literary way. It sounds weird, but even broiled chicken, especially when left overnight in the oven, stirs the creative juices for me. Continue reading
Moms Make Connections, Build Community on Facebook
I never thought that I was the type to crumble under peer pressure, surrender to the insanity, and plummet into the bizarre, underground world of web-based social networking. Call me old-fashioned, but I’d rather schmooze over a café latte at Starbucks than silly icons in cyberspace. Continue reading
Inter-Racial Adoptions Bring New Meaning to Motherhood
A child is a gift from God. Ask any mother who adopts a child and she will tell you so. They may not share the same skin color, race, or blood, and they may come from opposite sides of the world, but they are bashert, a Hebrew word that means two people who are meant to be together. Even when they speak different languages, love is universal. A mother’s love for her baby grows in her heart like a womb, and they give each other life. Continue reading
“Mishegas of Motherhood” Celebrates #100 Milestone
This week’s “Mishegas of Motherhood” is special for me because it represents my one-hundredth column. That’s right, 100 times I wrote a story that had something to do with being a Jewish mom, although I’ve also been known to digress and talk about food, my marriage, and my dog. Since the parenting humor column was first published in March 2006, “Mishegas of Motherhood” has become a household name, at least at my house. Even so, I realize “Mishegas of Motherhood” is a mouthful to say and an even longer title to spell out. That’s why I would like to propose the abbreviated title for “Mishegas of Motherhood” as “M.O.M.” What do you think?
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Saying Thanks To Mom Makes Her Day
In honor of upcoming Mother’s Day, I dedicate this week’s column to all moms, especially mine because without her I wouldn’t here. If not for my mom, I wouldn’t be born. Otherwise, my soul might have ended up in the physical body of a dolphin or an eagle or a peasant farmer in Mexico. But I wouldn’t be me.
So, thanks mom. Thanks for everything you’ve done to me—I mean for me—over the years. Continue reading