“To realize that a waterfall, a blooming flower, a singing bird, a full moon, and a fruit tree, all manifest the rhythm and cycles which are not unlike ourselves, is a simple truth.” — Josie Saracino, 1977 Beloved progressive educator, artist, gardener and writer Josephine Marckie Saracino died peacefully from complications
In which I continue to marvel at my mother's creative crafting and the way she layered, cut and glued different parts of life together. Scroll to the end for a Josie photo and brief update. My mother loves a holiday. She loves a candle. A sunset photo. I
In which I receive a gift that was written and created over 35 years ago. And something that was broken gets mended. In gratitude to my dearest friends who counseled me after conquering a fear. And those that celebrated my birthday in New Mexico. Gratitude for basking in the glory
In which, 'Are you my sister?' get's a reprise, and I ponder some wisdom from an email from 2010. In gratitude to my tiny friends for snuggling on the couch and asking me to read them books. Gratitude for babies that fall asleep at restaurants. Late
In which I write to my mother and read some poems she wrote in 1987. ‘What is the matter with aloneness anyway?’ she wrote in 1987. Thank you to Lexi for feedback before sharing. Thank you to Anna for letting me hold your baby. Thank you to S for keeping
In which I take a deeper look into the self-acceptance work my mother did and also appreciate the beauty of a Korean spa and friendship. With gratitude for small moments of joy, such as chitchatting with friends on long walks, thrift stores, walking up hills, shooting around, going on
In which, I veer off from the aim of this newsletter and share an essay I wrote about my father's death. Special thanks to Deirdre's 2014 magazine writing class and Gaurav Madan for feedback ten years later. Very brief Josie update & photo at the bottom!
In which I examine a piece of writing on how Josie got her dream job at Peninsula, thanks to the supportive community around her. This one is a little long, skip to the end for a chicken story and a recent photo of mom. Dear Mom, Well, at the beginning
In which I share a draft of an essay about my mother's first trip to India, and the next trip when she met my father. Skip to the end for a recent photo of Josie. In gratitude to my dear friends for supporting me with small gestures of
Dear Mama, I miss you often around my birthday. It was around my birthday in 2018 that i received five birthday cards from you — mostly on different days. And then a call a few days before my birthday sealed the suspicion that wires had been crossed in your brain capacity.
In which I share a draft of an essay about friendship, love, a cottage, and a blue couch. Written sometime in 2022. Skip to the end for a recent photo of Josie. When I think of home, the room that appears in my mind is the kitchen of Jane and
In which I marvel at the passage of time, birthdays, and garden metaphors. April 15, 2024 Berkeley, Calif. Dear Mama, Happy 80th Birthday! Wow, time flies when you are having fun, huh? For your birthday I went to the clay studio, made myself an art cart, and went to a