
My mother had the most exquisite diamond engagement ring, a round stone embraced on one side by a semi-circle of tiny diamonds and on the other, rubies. Set in a platinum band, she bequeathed it to my sister, as it should have been. My sister had beautiful hands. Me, not so much. I never really understood the necessity and didn’t want a diamond ring when I decided to marry. I’m … Read More





Today is Valentine’s Day, a universal tribute to love. For me, it has been celebrated in 3 stages: childhood, youth and as an adult. Most of the journey was about giving and getting: heart shaped cards on white doilies gave way to candy, flowers and more. But it took 5 decades of living and 35 + years of marriage to finally define what a woman really loves; respect in the …