Inspirational Musings & More
Three of my winning stories in the T2I -series
Dr. Bernie Siegel (A Book of Miracles) has this to say about the collection of inspiring stories (Lois W. Stern, Ed.):
…”|stories| about compassionate people and animals can help us all to learn more about life and make our existence more meaningful.” https://www.tales2inspire.com/
2015 Winner: Left-over Feminism: My Lunch with Betty Friedan (The Crystal Collection)
This collection is specifically targeted to make readers laugh.
Thirty years after my Helsinki introduction to the iconic feminist, I arranged an in-person interview with her in Miami.
Although my story has a serious side to it – as most humor pieces do – the outcome of my real-live interview tickles the funny bone with its observations of the inconsistency between our actions and beliefs.
2014 Winner: A Leap of Words (The Ruby Collection)
When your beloved is in the throes of a serious illness you want to do everything in your power to maintain the same routines that have comforted him throughout his years as an obsessive-compulsive. But when you and he come from two different religious traditions, a new ritual with bedtime prayers creates a moral dilemma. This is a story about how it’s possible for someone who didn't like changes in his environment to find solace in the soothing rhythm of words he can’t understand.
2013 Winner: Maintenance for my Soul: The Man from Nowhere (The Emerald Collection)
The man appeared from nowhere to bring me a message of comfort and hope when I thought my 6-week old baby was going to die. Maybe this wasn’t just about coincidences, but about angels in human form. Whether you believe in angels in human form or simply the theory of synchronicity, this story shows what happens when we leave ourselves open to the mysteries of life.
My first foray into going public with my life with an OCDer was a brief essay in the International OCD Foundation Newsletter, Vol 23, no. 4 (Fall 2009).
My piece in the above newsletter was followed in 2011 by Bitten by a Squirrel: OCD and the Grim Reaper (Miami-Dade Health Department, Healthy Stories).
Although I was a woman madly in love, life with an OCDer could still be unbearable at times. That’s when I discovered my own obsession, My story in Golf Digest (Feb. 2012).
Even though my years with a beloved OCDer is merely a tiny story in my book, The Yellow Star that Wasn’t it belongs on this page because his overwhelming collection of Holocaust-related material was the motivation for my research into the Scandinavian experience.
Other Random Musings
Hassles Aside, Amenities Make Condos Worthwhile
Miami Herald, (Jan. 26, 2003).
Condo-living can be a real hassle but there is a trade-off. My humorous essay speaks of how I avoided the condo-commandoes and developed my own coping skills.
Musings on “Gud som haver”
Although this is a story about an ancient Swedish children’s prayer I approach it from the standpoint of the philosophy of translations. It’s intended to highlight the challenges faced by a anyone trying to transfer the meaning of one language to another.
Those of us who’ve faced the demand for a perfect translation in another language will relate to the dilemma I present. The Quarterly Vol. 3 (Fall 2009), https://www.swedishfinnhistoricalsociety.org/
Bars and Cafés: the Coffee Culture in Finland
Coffee drinking has deep roots in Finland where it was first a prohibited pleasure. But when the coffee pot became a meeting point for parishioners welcoming visiting clergy, a distinct new social experience was born. Today, it has evolved into full-fledged coffee houses that compete with those on the rest of the Continent. And yes, even the ubiquitous Starbucks.
The Swedish text on the coffee pot says that a spot of coffee is the best drink on earth. The Quarterly Vol 20, (Fall 2012), https://www.swedishfinnhistoricalsociety.org/. It honors my grandmother who showed me there was humor all around us.