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When does life begin? Fertilization: the sperm cell of the male and the egg of the female join to form a zygote (immediate, less than one day). This is commonly called conception. Implantation: the zygote, which has grown to be a blastocyst, imbeds itself in the lining of the uterus (about one week after fertilization).Continue reading “Abortion: Part II, Pro-Life”

“We can do something about it if you don’t want it,” the nurse said to me, obviously misinterpreting my sobbing. The “it” was an embryo that would become a fetus that would become my first son. The nurse said what she did because I had just found out that I was pregnant and she wasContinue reading “Abortion: Part I, Pro-Choice”

One by one, sometimes two by two, they came and stood at the end of the flag-draped coffin to pay their respects to the tiny woman whose body was lying in state. Ruth Bader Ginsberg had achieved so many successes, rising to the top of her chosen career in law by being named to theContinue reading “RBG and Other Women”

“I get anxious about being a liberal evangelical. I’m so afraid to voice an opinion for fear that I will be rejected. Yet, sometimes I want to say something when I disagree so fervently with what is going on in our nation.” This was my complaint to my pastor a week ago. His answer surprisedContinue reading “Liberal Evangelical”

A tall, thin man stands at the window looking out into the gathering dusk. In his arms is a small toddler, a little girl wrapped in a corduroy romper, whose hand is reaching toward the coal oil lamp on the oval table. As the man pulls her hand back from the hot glass chimney ofContinue reading “A toddler’s memories”

27A. I checked my ticket. Yes, that was my seat number. As I stood in the aisle, I looked across the two other seats towards that window seat, always my preference. No one was in 27C, but 27B was occupied, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to get past the character. His whole head wasContinue reading “Gas Masks, Women’s Suffrage, and the Vote”

Note: another essay that more or less follows the guidelines I set for my class writers with the topic being autumn. This takes quite a few liberties with the topic, but the story’s contents all happened in the fall of the year. “Look what came in the mail!” Mother cried, as she waved the fall/winterContinue reading “School Clothes in August”

Corporal: relating to the human body Corporeal: relating to the person’s body, especially as opposed to their spirit Corporal: a cloth on which the chalice and the paten are placed during the celebration of the Eucharist I went to church last Sunday. I “go” to church every Sunday, but last Sunday was different. It wasContinue reading “The Body (of Christ)”

Note: this is another writing based on an assignment for my memoir class, the assignment being “my favorite vacation spot” What were we thinking! We had just arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport with our 26” bags and our carry-ons. We had told our friend that we could take the train into the city andContinue reading “Paris, City of Light”

“Only what I want to believe is real,” says Winslow in today’s Prickly City comic (Scott Stantis, Prickly City in Chicago Tribune, Tuesday, July 21, 2020, Section 4, pg. 6). Winslow is responding to Carmen’s statement that men were walking on the moon 51 years ago. Actually, that was yesterday’s date, not today’s, but closeContinue reading “Comic Strip Reality”