Francy's New Morning

    Another school year begins, and I’m not ready to hear my kids ask: “Do I have everything?” as they race to catch the bus. The truth is probably not . But does it matter on the first day? So why do I worry? I need to focus on the basics: they ate, brushed their teeth, remembered the backpack, and caught the bus. I pray for them as the storm door swings closed. Then I stare out the window and hold my breath for three minutes, the time it takes my son and daughter to stroll back from the bus stop. At least for the first day, they made it, and I can breathe again. I can’t relax too soon; sometimes they call from the bus—a call equals problem, something their sleepy minds just remembered. About this time last year, I had to bike to the high school, a twenty-five minute ride, to bring forgotten cleats and shin guards needed for practice. Mommy points for that day! My two youngest of five kids are teenagers who shouldn’t need my h

Playing stickball with a view of Tower One across the bay in Long Beach, NY 9/11/16 A day we'll never forget: 9/11/2001. Years later, as I play stickball with my family, we can see the Tower One where we used to see the Twin Towers. And I remember that day... My husband had left for work. Our oldest three sons, age 5, 7, and 9 at the time, had just finished their breakfast and were starting their homeschool lessons. A few minutes before 9:00 AM, my mother-in-law rushed downstairs to tell us her sister called her with crazy news. “A plane crashed through one of the twin towers! Turn on the TV!”   We watched, confused, wondering how an accident like this could happen as smoke and fire billowed from the first tower. Then in live footage we watched a second plane fly into the second tower…and we knew it was a terrorist attack. This was not an accident—it had to be a calculated plan to kill thousands of Americans. About an hour later, we watched the towers collapse in