She had forgotten a lot. Dementia had reared its ugly head. Perhaps it was the beginning of Alzheimers. Perhaps mom was just wearing out.

On my fourteenth birthday, I woke up to find my parents gone an d a note on the kitchen table that said: "At the hospital."

This weekend I went to the 'pre-game' festivities for my husbands 55th high school reunion.

When our oldest was in middle school, I asked why he and his brother never did anything bad.

My parents made a pact to stand on every continent int he world. Then my dad died.