I have very vivid dreams. Often my husband will tell me I was yelling or crying in my sleep. Sometimes I punch him, the poor man. I frequently dream about work, to the point where I wake up exhausted, feeling as if I worked all night. I have had to argue cases not in a
Author: rfmezzy
My defining moments came in 1994 and 1999, when each of my sons celebrated becoming a Bar Mitzvah. The tradition of the Bar Mitzvah celebration is that it is the day when a boy becomes a man. At age 13, that was not exactly true for either of them, but for me, it was the
My friend died last week. He was diagnosed with lung cancer 3.5 years ago, but underwent several courses of experimental treatment and was doing remarkably well for a long time. Then he wasn’t. I met my friend 23 years ago, when I started my job at one of Connecticut’s legal aid organizations. I was so
My New Year’s resolution is to stop worrying. My worrying has grown to such an extent that it is making me miserable and annoying those around me. Intellectually, I know it is a waste of time and energy to worry. I freely admonish others not to do so. But I’m really having trouble breaking this
I recently had coffee with my younger brother. Naturally the conversation turned to our parents and the way they raised us. My brother does not believe that one’s childhood affects one for the rest of one’s life. “How is it possible that 11 or 12 years – the years between 4 and 16 – shape
What a year! Lots of blessings – extraordinary blessings. My second son got married in September, to his long-time girlfriend, a woman we all love and admire. My nephew got married in December, to his long-time girlfriend, also a woman we all love and admire. Another nephew got engaged to HIS long-time girlfriend, another fabulous woman
Marriage is really tough. Marriage with kids is even tougher. Along with the many ordinary stressors of life, we carry baggage from the past as well as currently breaking baggage. For women in particular, I think there is an ongoing problem with feeling HEARD and being taken seriously. There are a number of reasons for
When I first moved to Hamden, 38 years ago, there were lots of little locally-owned stores. We had Cobb’s, a stationery store that sold pens, art supplies and greeting cards. I could get lost in there for hours. There was Richard Thomas, also in the Hamden Plaza, my go-to dress store. I still have some
We live in Connecticut, the wealthiest state in the country. Most of us, as Connecticut Working Moms, do not live in poverty. We don’t even know any mothers living in poverty. My job is to represent poor people, to help them attain eligibility for government benefits or to keep them from losing those benefits. So
Last week, I was preparing for an SSI hearing for a child client. I thought he was attending Head Start, as he is only 4 years old, but I found out at my pre-hearing meeting with his mom on Wednesday that he is actually in public school kindergarten. AAAHHH!! I quickly sent off a request
