HOME & FAMILY

Esther Cohen was looking for something `more.' She didn't know what, but her life, the way it was, just wasn't enough. She began coming to my house as a babysitter. Then more frequently, to ask questions as she would peel potatoes or finish dressing the baby.

The Benefactor
by Sudy Rosengarten

Part II

Story synopsis: Abraham Cohen, stingy business magnate, decides to adopt one philanthropic project to ease his conscience. His arbitrary choice is a seedy-looking girls seminary, which he is invited to visit.

Apple Toss
by Leah Subar

The three of them came skipping down the sidewalk toward the park -- two boys and a girl. They wore matching outfits and ate matching snacks. Apples. I watched them from the park bench as they skipped -- joyful smiles on their faces -- heading for the sandbox and swings.

BOOK REVIEW
by Sheindel Weinbach

What was the first book you ever read? A real one, a biggie, not a Dick and Jane reader. Remember the thrill? The sense of accomplishment? The pure enjoyment that resulted from surmounting that paper Everest, the pride in standing up and being counted among those who count, a little person with the authority of the written word to back you: "...but I read it in a book!"

Your Medical Questions Answered!
by Joseph B. Leibman, MD

Before we continue to speak about the lungs, two safety tips must be mentioned. We have been seeing a sharp upsurge in corkonet (scooter) injuries. Children are suffering serious head injuries and broken arms from falls from these riding toys. A helmet is necessary, and scooters are not designed for small children or for going down big hills.

Poet's Corner

Mothers and Daughters
by Varda Branfman

(Soon to be published in a collection of poems and essays, "I Remembered in the Night Your Name")

Our children are the skin that goes beyond us
Our mothers, the deep interior
Deeper than we can see
Even later, after they are gone
Inside us, making us comfortable
Making us sleep through the night

We end up patting down their covers
In their last illness
And asking if there is something
They need before we leave
And then we can't leave the room
Can never draw apart

The lines get blurred
We find ourselves mothering
Those who mothered us
We have fallen into not knowing
Who we are to each other
Who leads and who follows
Who cares for and who curls up
To be cared for

When she's gone
There's no one standing between you
And Eternity

But the love is so strong
You know she will cross the lines
If she has
To save you