Raising children is hard. Boys or girls, it doesn’t matter. Both are challenging. Heart-wrenching. Painstaking. As a woman, sometimes it’s easy for a mom to identify more with her daughter. Our experiences are— or will be— shared. I think about my own road growing up. About learning to balance strength and femininity, self-respect and social…

Ninety. I still can’t believe it. It’s not like I haven’t known it was coming, after all. But she is ninety. We celebrated today. On Mother’s Day. With all her favorite foods— ham and collard greens and creamed corn. We ate Mississippi Mud pie for dessert. I have her taste— it was all wonderful. My…