12-Step Mama

On the first day of first grade, Daniel got dressed, tied his shoes, ate breakfast, and brushed his teeth without prompting — all the things I’d nagged him to get…

I don’t know how you can be a mother and not feel spiritually awake. I can’t take credit for the creation, for the mother love that descends upon me, for…

It was almost the end of the school year when Daniel became the treasured child. Every day for a week he came in from school, dumped his backpack, and showed…

It’s the morning after Mother’s Day and here I sit, chin in hands, reeling with an emotional hangover. I check my e-mail and pick my poison. Here’s one from my…

Becoming a mother taught me more about how deeply I’d harmed my own mother. With Mom facing dementia, the last few years especially have been my turn to host the…

The A.A. program is one big amend, and step eight forces me to put my money where my mouth is. I said “I’m sorry” so often in my drinking days…

Daniel got “the besd pikshr” award for his drawing at school today. It’s a somewhat still life of a blue ATV crashing into the back of a truck. I think…

Today I’m more willing to give up my hobbling defects in order to show my son how to do the same. I’m ready to quit my anger when I see…

Knowing that I will have to tell the truth about my warped thoughts, deeds, and feelings to another helps keep my behavior somewhat in check today — a cheap motive,…

We all know how to take inventory of our stuff: our books, our clothes, our pantries. Inventory of the self is similar, a check to see what we’ve got in…

I practiced Step Three on an issue other than alcohol when I said “yes” to pregnancy. It felt scary and surreal. When we chose Daniel, we were willing to give…