Tag: family
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We never met, but my grandfather, Jesse Paulk, shaped my life
If I could meet anyone in the world, I’d choose to go back to before September 12, 1961 and meet my maternal grandfather, Jesse Paulk. September 12, 1961 was my mom’s 13th birthday and also the day my grandfather died. I was given my name, Jessica, in his memory. My mom’s brother also named his…
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Happy Memorial Day Weekend
I love Memorial Day Weekend. It’s a three-day weekend and the first work holiday since New Year’s for many adults. It’s the unofficial kickoff to Summer, although in Chicago this year no one knows for sure. It marks about three weeks to my favorite holiday of the year – my birthday. And, of course, it’s…
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Advice to new graduates: Create a legacy
My family has a three generation history of delivering commencement addresses. First, my Nana was the valedictorian of her Batesville High School (now South Panola High School) Class of 1933. In 1966, my mom delivered her commencement speech, What I’ve Willed I’ll Do, at Tarpon Springs High School. In 1969, her brother and my uncle…
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Letter to a new mom on Mother’s Day: Healthy relationships start with you
ChicagoNow bloggers are joining forces today in support of new moms as they celebrate their first Mother’s Day, although the advice below is just plain good life advice for everyone. Want to read all the posts written for Mother’s Day? We’ve Storified them and you can find them all here. Dear New Mom, Congratulations on your…
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Watervale – My Slice of Heaven
Every summer for as long as I can remember, my family has vacationed at a resort in Northern Iowa Michigan called Watervale. Watervale is a third-generation family owned resort that began as a logging town in the 1800s. The Kraft family purchased the abandoned town in 1917. My family ties don’t go back quite that…
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Happy National Siblings Day
According to my Facebook wall, today is National Siblings Day. All of my friends are posting pics of their siblings and spouting lovely platitudes about just how great their siblings are, blah, blah, blah. I hate to break it to all of you, but I have the most supercalifragilisticexpialidocious brother ever. EVEH. Let me tell you why your…
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Do Not Hide Your Guns in Your Socks
I just saw a story on ABC7 Chicago about a woman sorting clothes at a thrift who was killed when a gun fell out of a sock. It absolutely breaks my heart that something so easily preventable just ended a woman’s life. It also breaks my life because this happened to me a couple of…
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Could You Unplug for 24 Hours?
Could you unplug for 24 hours? No, this is not a rhetorical question. I’m completely serious. A few days ago, my friend Anthony posted a story from Fox Chicago about something called the National Day of Unplugging. Without knowing anymore than it meant taking a pledge to turn off all electronic devices for 24-hours from sundown…
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Happy Birthday Sammy and Zoey
Sammy and Zoey are my kittens and they turn two today. The following conversation may or may not have actually happened. Zoey: Mommy, because it’s our birthday will you tell us the story about when we became a Forever Family? Me: Of course, Zoey. I’d be happy to tell you that story. Why don’t you…
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When is an Olympics Gold Medal not an Olympics Gold Medal?
As we near the end of the Winter Olympics, I’m reminded of one of my favorite stories about my brother Dave. Yes, Dave of the Herpes story fame. No, Dave doesn’t have Herpes. Read the story. Dave is a little more than three years younger than me and probably a million times smarter than me,…
Jessica L Gardner 