By Susan Diamond TO FREEDOM He woke one day and instead of thanking God (which was his usual custom) he took a vow in God’s presence. “Today is the day I will change my destiny.” Marcus was a slave. He was strong, smart, and hardworking. All … [Read more...]

I am unmarried. Loved by my family, yet to be loved by a husband. It all changes tomorrow, the month of Av on the 15th day in the land of Jerusalem. I come from the tribe of Dan. You may know the story of my people. We are descendants of Abraham. … [Read more...]

By Susan Diamond Henry is a good man. Back in the day he was a newspaper man. He ran the presses and brought the daily news to his hometown. With retirement and the onset of old age came a new routine. One that kept him very busy. Last … [Read more...]

When you’re old, a person can start to feel a little depressed. Sad and lonely. Not me. I am happy to be old, I never thought I’d live to ninety. But I am. I did. And I’m damn glad about it. Pardon my language. I lost my filter a while back and I … [Read more...]

In those days they called my brother retarded. Today he is considered someone with an intellectual disability. In our family, and to everyone who knows Doug, he is "special." Doug was born with the kiss of God upon his forehead. He has a … [Read more...]

Serena lives two doors away from 560 acres of forest preserve. A blessing. Abundance. A whole lot of critters, varmints, and crawly things to live among. She is very nearly One with nature. Yet, just a few steps to the north of her suburban … [Read more...]

She followed blindly.  There was the woman who learned to cook by watching her mother. Every Sabbath or holiday dinner when there was a brisket to be made, she would follow the steps her mother always took to ready the meat for cooking.  First … [Read more...]

Every man, woman and child was afraid of him. The mere mention of the name “Andrew” sent a ripple of fear through the village. Quansett is a small town in the upper peninsula of the state. The time was 1892, the gilded age for cities, where wealth … [Read more...]

His entire demeanor said “sigh” He was a body of disappointment and his spirit sagged. The man was defeated. Even Hilda, with vision spotty from macular degeneration could see it. True, she heard it first when he sat down next to her. An actual … [Read more...]

It used to be a question I asked myself often. Not anymore.  I spent many years thinking deeply, trying this and that, and praying for an answer to that one confounding question that worried me more than any other. How can I teach my … [Read more...]