Author Archives: Helen Baldwin

March seems to stretch to infinity, but one bright spot is the promise of spring. It’s also National Reading Month, in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Our daughter-in-law, Jill, is a literacy specialist at our…

As a college freshman pursuing a degree in special education, I assisted in two nearby elementary classrooms. The students all had moderate cognitive challenges. I remember a few even now: Roger, with his…

Countless events shape the course of our lives: marriage, career changes, parenthood, the loss of loved ones, and health crises, to name just a few. The list is almost endless. After eight years of marriage, my…

My goal in college was to become a special education teacher. I had a dream work-study job at a nearby elementary school, assisting in two special ed classrooms. My career plan derailed slightly when I married, moved, and…

My husband, Randy, and I had never considered leaving our hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. That all changed when Randy received an unexpected coaching offer in South Carolina. With little time to prepare for such a…

Last year sprinted to the finish line at breakneck speed. I couldn’t have stuffed much more into December’s calendar. Wrapping presents, finishing intense seasonal activities and mandatory year-end tasks, fulfilling copious obligations, and escaping to Charleston,…

Our granddaughter, Clara, turns 10 this month. She loves choosing themes for her birthday parties, and “PopPop,” as she calls my husband, Randy, challenges himself to design and bake elaborate cakes to match. This year’s theme is…

According to my mother, I made sure she was being “kessul” (careful) during her pregnancy with my brother. I wasn’t thrilled, however, about sharing the spotlight with baby Paul. Thinking outside the box, even then, I asked sweetly to push…

When I was growing up, I gravitated toward creepy, hair-raising movies and books. I loved being spooked, especially on Halloween. I’d become deliriously giddy when the autumn wind in my native Fort Worth, Texas, howled during trick-or-treating.

The fall of 1996 brought the usual glorious colors, cooler weather, and a whammy of a news bulletin: I was pregnant. In our 40s, my husband, Randy, and I adjusted as well as possible, as did…