Monthly Archives: March 2020

The silent toll of sheltering-in-place

Posted on March 31, 2020 by maradanto

I can’t speak for anyone else, but this shelter-in-place is taking its unseen toll on me. My body shut down around nine o’clock last night and I was the first asleep in the house. Woke up at 2:30, mind restless … Continue reading →

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Well, this might suck

Posted on March 25, 2020 by maradanto

Called the doctor today. Such a forceful reaction. You would think I had the plague. “No, we are NOT making appointments to see people.” You’d think there was a pandemic going on. Doctor listened to my symptoms. Agreed with me … Continue reading →

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Feeling anxious about coronavirus? That’s OK

Posted on March 23, 2020 by maradanto

I want to tell you, it’s okay to be anxious right now. The world has been turned sideways the past week, and every day it’s become more askew. Schools are closed, businesses are closed, and no one has any idea … Continue reading →

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Lent: Celebrate

Posted on March 22, 2020 by maradanto

The whole family was home for dinner today. There was no work, no play dates, no art, no internship. There was beef stew. We called friends and put them on speakerphone so they could join us for a meal at … Continue reading →

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Lent: Listen

Posted on March 21, 2020 by maradanto

Sometimes I think that as writers we get so used to metaphor and symbolism that we forget that words have actual, primary meanings. It’s descriptive if I tell you that Kevin is a vulture. And if I tell you that … Continue reading →

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Lent: See

Posted on March 20, 2020 by maradanto

Eyesight seems so arbitrary. A few days ago I was at the park with a group from my social work agency. As I was pushing him on the swing and talking with him, one of our child clients saw something … Continue reading →

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Lent: Sent

Posted on March 18, 2020 by maradanto

I got this magazine in the mail, as I have almost every month for the past 30 years. It’s not that I’m a raging “Reader’s Digest” fan. My mother signed me up for a gift subscription when I moved out, … Continue reading →

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Lent: Light

Posted on March 17, 2020 by maradanto

Sleep is no comfort to the well-rested, Water brings no relief to those who are not thirsty. Food has no use for the well-fed, And more light is wasted on those who live in the sun. Do not begrudge the … Continue reading →

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Lent: Revealed

Posted on March 16, 2020 by maradanto

About 30 years ago, I woke my roommate up talking i my sleep. I’d been reading the “The Brothers Karamazov,” and was trying to figure out which of the two main suspects it was who had killed old Karamazov, and … Continue reading →

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Lent: Celebrate

Posted on March 15, 2020 by maradanto

Here’s a neat little observation about celebrations: They always require other people Fourth of July cookouts. Bat mitzvahs. Graduation parties. Thanksgiving dinner. Wedding receptions. They all involve food, but more importantly they include the presence of loved ones. You don’t … Continue reading →

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