Published in Email Refrigerator·Dec 28, 2020PotentialEmail Refrigerator :: 25 — Hey friend! What Will Become of Us? “Hello, Elmo” Golda says politely as she tosses her red plush friend on top of her doll, already-buckled into the tiny stroller. My daughter keeps adding her toys one by one. An oversized plastic butterfly sits on the table. She picks that up, too. “Come here, Par-par!” which…Potential6 min read
Published in Email Refrigerator·Dec 28, 2020Member-onlySelf-SabotageEmail Refrigerator :: 24 — Hey friend, Since Halloween, Lauren and I have been hiding a giant bag of candy in our dresser to make sure that Golda wouldn’t find and eat it all. And because of that, I’ve been eating a piece of candy or two every day. I don’t want to. …Self Sabotage7 min read
Published in Email Refrigerator·Dec 28, 2020Member-onlyRewritingEmail Refrigerator :: 23 — Dear. No. Hello there! Nope. Hiya! Meh. Hey. For the last few months, Golda has been practicing her birthday. Lying in her crib every night she’d sing happy birthday to herself. She’d ask us to light candles so she could practice blowing them out. “When is your birthday?” And she…Rewriting8 min read
Published in Email Refrigerator·Dec 28, 2020Member-onlyPathsEmail Refrigerator :: 22 — Friend, Today marks the weekend between Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. The Jewish calendar is intentional in starting the year with a celebration and giving us a full week to examine the past year and make plans for the year ahead. But…Paths6 min read
Published in Email Refrigerator·Dec 28, 2020Member-onlyButtonsEmail Refrigerator :: 21 — Play Some days, when the world is feeling particularly dark, I’ve found that playing a record helps. Any album, really. I love the mechanics of it all–the automatic motions of the arm and the crackle before the first song. The predictability of one song after the next. …Buttons6 min read
Published in Email Refrigerator·Dec 28, 2020Member-onlyChanging Our MindEmail Refrigerator :: 20 — Good morning, friend. I. Changing My Mind Six years ago this week I was traveling through Vietnam and Cambodia. I remember the street food, the hostels and beaches, and biking through the rain. But nearly 50 years before that, the first American troops were wading onto the beaches north of…Mindset Shift8 min read
Published in Email Refrigerator·Dec 28, 2020Member-onlyFreedomEmail Refrigerator :: 19 — Hey there friend, I. Language of Privilege I found myself looking for scripts this month. How can I talk to my daughter about race? How can I convince my conservative relatives that we are all biased? Start conversations about non-racism vs anti-racism? …Race8 min read
Published in Email Refrigerator·Dec 28, 2020Member-onlyLessonsEmail Refrigerator :: 18 — Hey there! Thanks for opening the fridge. Hope you enjoy these snacks. I. What is The Lesson? Splayed across the table lie a handful of colorful jelly beans. My daughter Golda, who just turned 19 months old, stands in front of her toddler-sized green chair counting. “Wwwwwwuuuun… Tooooo… threeee…. Furteen!” It…Lessons7 min read
Published in Email Refrigerator·Dec 28, 2020Member-onlyEphemeralityEmail Refrigerator :: 17 — I. This Is Our Life Now Exactly one year ago, my wife, daughter, and I packed up our car and drove 18 hours from New Jersey to Chicago. As we crossed into Pennsylvania, Lauren turns to me and says “I guess this is our life now.” It’s become a running joke…Ephemera6 min read
Published in Email Refrigerator·Dec 28, 2020Member-onlyConnectivityEmail Refrigerator :: 16 — Hi Friend! Yeesh. What is there to write about and talk about other than what’s going on in the world right now? How are you doing? (I actually want to know.) Coronavirus has spread so quickly because we are in constant contact with others. So we are all practicing some…Connection7 min read
