Embracing a New Life and Love
When I lifted the baby girl to my chest, it was love, overwhelming and instant. Then came the Spider-Man light-up shoes. The short haircut. The six-pack of superhero undies from the boys section. The tantrums over having to wear a top at the pool. The revelation that a different life was possible. The trying of new names. The telling of family, friends, school. And now our love is different, new. The love of mother and her 8-year-old son. The loving of someone for who they truly are, not whom you had imagined them to be. — Kate Streip
Tired of Looking at Myself
During my first shelter-in-place “date,†I saw myself watching him looking at me on the video call. Despite my best efforts, I was consumed by my mannerisms. Do I always tilt my head like that? Does this look like a neutral smile and not a grimace? The experience was alienating and unsettling. It increased my anxiety and crippled our conversation. Still, we decided to meet for an in-person picnic, where I could only see his face, not mine. We’ve been dating since. — Kate Sautter
Defining the Relationship
I met Ashley while moving a sofa out of a walk-up in Minneapolis. Six months later, we went to a political fund-raiser. The organizer asked us how we knew each other. I said we were friends. She said, “We’re dating.†Later, I said, “Are we dating?†We had been spending all of our free time together, but I didn’t know. Ashley said, “Yes, you’re my girlfriend and I’m your girlfriend. I was in love with you the moment I met you.†We’re celebrating our anniversary this month. However, if you ask Ashley, she would say our celebration is long overdue. — Clare Baumgart
An Open Purse on the Park Bench
My grandmother’s purse sat open and unattended on a park bench in the 1950s Bronx. Alarmed, my young mother said, “Mom, your purse is open!†“It’s OK, honey,†my grandmother said. “If someone takes it, they need it more than I do.†In that moment, my mother’s young world took on a new hue. They were a poor Jewish family of five living in a small two-bedroom apartment. They barely got by. Yet, my grandmother left her heart and purse open to those who needed it most. — Deborah L. Staunton