A split second is all that separates who I am now—a wife and mother—and who I might have been—an invisible military widow. On August 19, 1993, the love of my life sat in the passenger seat of a cutvee truck on the road from the Port of Mogadishu to UN headquarters. In the back, two soldiers manned an […]

It was 2:30 a.m., and the college students across the street were still blasting their music. My partner Gina reminded me it was my turn to tell them to knock it off. I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt and walked barefoot to their front door. “I know it doesn’t seem loud to you, but […]

The next time I say I’m going to try a For Sale By Owner, please take me gently by the shoulders and point me to the nearest reputable Realtor. I’ve said for years that Realtors earn every penny of commission.  I know selling a home is a tremendous amount of work—marketing the house, scheduling showings, remembering all of […]

I smoothed my navy blue suit skirt and relaxed a little.  Perched on the edge of a sofa in the fourth-floor office of a downtown Norfolk building, I was relieved that the job interview was coming to a close.  The two executives and I were moving to small talk. “So is your husband in the Navy?” one of […]