Thursday, November 28, 2019

Love one another, but make not a bond of love. Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. ~ Kahlil Gibran, On Marriage


Of all the hundreds of wedding pictures taken at Patrick and Nazaneen’s glorious wedding, this one intrigues me the most. Two very intuitive young lovers dancing their first dance as husband and wife. What is Patrick saying to his beautiful bride? I wonder…

My father gave me the book “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran when I was a teenager. I’ve referred to its’ wisdom time and again

when I fell in love

when I got married

when I had children.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Mandatory Pre-Wedding Mother/Son Lunch #2



Patrick Francis Healy, my “middle child”, my #2 son, is getting married next weekend.

Named after St. Francis of Assisi and my father Edmund Francis Shaheen. classic Irish name with a bow to his grandfather, William Healy. A lover of nature, an artist, a true renaissance man outstanding in his field.

After almost two days of laboring, Patrick was born with his brown eyes wide open to check out the world. I think he was impressed. We had a quick snuggle before the nurses whisked him away to the nursery to observe him. “He’s too quiet”, they said.

In my hospital bed looking out the window at the stars, I couldn’t roll over and get comfortable. He was still with me. Safely tucked just under my heart.

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Magical ...


You know my heart and its ways

You who formed me before I was born

In the secret of darkness before I saw the sun

In my mother’s womb

~Psalm 139

Welcome to the world little Bear. One more sleep and I will hold you in my arms. Your Sitti

Thursday, May 9, 2019

What are we busy about?


“Your right ovary is enlarged. That’s unusual after menopause.”

This is not something you want to hear from your gynecologist when your mother died from ovarian cancer at 61 years of age. I stare at the ceiling and try to stay calm.

“Let’s schedule an ultrasound.”

I go mute. I don’t ask any questions. So unlike me. I accept my sentence and graciously take my referral paperwork from the nurse and half listen to her instructions. I need to get to work for a meeting at 9am.  I’ll process this later. It’s Wednesday and life is busy.

Saturday, January 26, 2019

And the seasons they go round and round and the painted ponies go up and down. ~Joni Mitchelle


I’ve always love the song “Circle Game” by Joni Mitchell. As an adolescent when this song first came out, I never truly appreciated the significance of the lyrics. But at this time in my life, they pulse with meaning.

I’ve noticed an interesting pattern through the years and I wonder if other women my age are seeing it as well. Our children leave home and go to college. They acquire degrees and find careers that make them happy. And life feels somewhat stagnant as a parent with an empty nest. We take a back seat to many of their adventures and accomplishments. We brag about them with our closest friends or a stranger in the market, showing pictures on our phones to whomever appears interested and feel blissful when they call home to say hi or I love you. After a life full of raising sons and taking a back seat to their health, education and well being, I am often at a loss for how to proceed.

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