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Written by Cara Sheridan O'Donnell

Parent Category: Life and Style

Category: Living in USA

Created: 24 April 2015

Last Updated: 05 January 2016

User Rating: 5 / 5

Written two years ago, on the first anniversary of her dear friend's untimely death, Cara asked that we re-run the piece today, the third anniversary, as the sentiments as expressed in 2013 remain as true and heartfelt now as they were then.

Janis ZernerWhile I haven’t quite reached the age that my contemporaries are dropping like end-of-summer flies, I have experienced the loss of a few acquaintances in my life. Last year, though, it was not an acquaintance but a friend, Janis Dominguez Zerner, whose death I so keenly mourned. Born only three weeks before I was, I suppose it was silly of me to defer to her as my elder, but in many respects I did, from the moment we met. My youngest and her only child became fast friends early on; we lived in houses separated by only one neighbor, so we saw quite a bit of one another. By the time her daughter started school, I was an old hand at the bus stop and Janis became the second mom on the scene. As soon as that bus pulled away, carrying off our respective darlings, we proceeded either to her house or mine for a quick cup of coffee. All too often, we’d exclaim after two hours that the day was getting away from us and we’d part ways until the next morning. Over the years, those early-morning coffee klatches became eagerly anticipated time slots during which we poured out our joys and troubles, pondered the problems of the world (and solved a great many of them—not that anyone appreciated all the time and effort it took us!), laughed, cried, or just sat ‘n’ sipped, savoring the quiet.

Read more: Forever Fueling (Sometimes Dueling): A Friendship

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Written by Cara Sheridan O'Donnell

Parent Category: Life and Style

Category: Living in USA

Created: 06 March 2015

Last Updated: 05 January 2016

User Rating: 5 / 5

Oh, And Feel Free To DROP Me A Line!                        

SigningA few days ago while in my local drug store (chemist’s shop), I stood in line behind a group consisting of a young woman and three elderly men. In a few seconds, I realized that the three men were deaf (or at least profoundly hard of hearing) and intellectually impaired. They were clearly having a great outing, selecting treats to purchase and using sign language to communicate with one another.

Read more: Cara On Line/In Line

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Written by Cara Sheridan O'Donnell

Parent Category: Life and Style

Category: Living in USA

Created: 09 December 2014

Last Updated: 05 January 2016

User Rating: 5 / 5

Letter From America

Essay Writing with CaraThere are very few things I enjoy more than assisting high school seniors in writing their college-application essays. To be sure, this task, which I have undertaken each year for about three decades, is challenging, but it is always rewarding in the end.

Read more: THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF MY YEAR.

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Written by Cara Sheridan O'Donnell

Parent Category: Life and Style

Category: Living in USA

Created: 24 October 2014

Last Updated: 05 January 2016

User Rating: 5 / 5

Bully for YOU!

odonnell irish eyesBullyingDear Lila:

Schoolyard bullies have been around since the existence of the first schoolyard. They are nothing new—indeed, Jesus might have said the same thing about bullies in general that he said about the poor - ” they will always be with you.” That said, the subject of bullying regularly makes the headlines in the U.S., especially when a victim of bullying attempts to commit—or succeeds in committing—suicide as the result of unrelenting torment by his or her peers.

Read more: Letter to a mom whose son is being bullied at school.