From caring for parents to sustaining memories
Every Easter my 22-year-old son, Tim, tries to create the ugliest and darkest Easter egg possible from standard dyes. This year, Tim spotted an egg he thought would help him reach his goal and placed it in our cup of green dye. After waiting several moments, Tim scooped out the egg. It was brown and … Continue reading A Lithuanian Custom for Easter 2020
I grappled with each emotion, one by one. It made no sense to feel like an abandoned orphan, but emotions don't always make sense. I talked to other late-in-life orphans and found that their emotions mirrored mine. Turns out, I wasn't so crazy when I longed to give my mother one more hug. I just missed the woman who always chatted with me when I came home from school and who enjoyed making and eating just-baked treats by Mrs. Goodcookie with me. I was normal!
Surrounded by men’s slacks, a Mizzou sweatshirt and a black and white poncho, I debated whether to buy short black Naturalizer boots with a side zipper and a wooden heel, almost two inches high. Would my feet hurt? Enough traction? Too high of a heel? I looked up as two shoppers approached. “Hi, girls!” My daughters … Continue reading Resolved: Shop ‘Til I Drop
A memorable picnic needs homemade potato salad. Perfectly cooked potatoes. Hard-boiled eggs cut in chunks. And creamy dressing with zip. Multiple textures meld, delivering one delicious bite after another. Mmmm, mmm, .... mmm. Just thinking about it makes my taste buds tingle. My mother, Helen Yorkgitis, considered potato salad her signature picnic food. She cooked … Continue reading Potato Salad: More Than Picnic Food
By Lisa Yorkgitis Nahach Reach me at LisaYorkgitisNahach@gmail.com. For me, New Year's Day doesn't signify the end of the season, and I have no immediate plans to take down our Christmas tree. In fact, I am gazing at the twinkling lights right now. The tree is looking a little worse for wear, but that's okay. … Continue reading A New Option for Christmas Trees: Holiday Trees!
By Lisa Yorkgitis Nahach When my family and I sat down on a hay wagon last Sunday at Timber View Tree Farm in Hartsburg, Mo., we thought we were going to take a short jaunt to a nearby field. That's why my husband, Jim, and I didn't stop our son Tim from picking up our … Continue reading Christmas Traditions Stand Test of Time
By Lisa Yorkgitis Nahach You can reach me at LisaYorkgitisNahach@gmail.com My husband, Jim, and I had anticipated this moment for years, and we were anxious. Tim was, too. While waiting for his name to be announced at the first varsity basketball game of the Jefferson City Jays, he leaned forward with his elbows resting on … Continue reading Deceased Grandfather Supported Grandson’s Athletic Endeavors
By Lisa Yorkgitis Nahach..... LisaYorkgitisNahach@gmail.com On a Wednesday evening in January ten years ago, my father called and told me that my sister Marianne “Mimi” Carl had died from an asthma attack. She was 47. My left hand shook uncontrollably as Dad relayed the news. I was in shock. I remained numb as my husband, … Continue reading Recent Memorial Services Force Caregiver To Face Reality
By Lisa Yorkgitis Nahach .... Reach Lisa at LisaYorkgitisNahach@gmail.com My father, Ed Yorkgitis, died in May 2014, but I still want to honor him tomorrow, Nov. 11, 2014 -- Veterans Day. I plan to wear at least one pin from his collection of WWII medals and pins. I aim to read a few entries from the journal Ed … Continue reading Veterans Day: A Chance to Honor My Father, a WWII Veteran
Seven Years a Caregiver 