Catherine Gigante-Brown

The santero sent us off with a shopping list of ite

8. Educate, don’t fixate.

Who says feminists don't love alpha males and cooking?

You learn a lot about people when you live in their home. The Taylors seemed to lead a joyless, Spartan existence.

When David was about 12, he told me that he wanted to take the train to school alone. My gut reaction was, “No way in hell!” I mean, we live in a safe neighborhood and all, but David has ADHD and was easily distracted. What if he missed his stop? What if someone messed with him?

At first, I felt like an abandoned ten-year-old, dropped off at a remote summer camp—with the extra added attraction of no cell phone reception or Wi-Fi. I thought the hardest part of the weekend was going to be picking out a robe. Boy, was I wrong!

A midtown Manhattan studio was recently the site of liberation-both on and offscreen-when Shenshean

Even when I explained to my son that he came from a long line of short people, it didn’t help. David still felt bad about being small. How could a five-year-old possibly get this type of size-shaming message? From other people, mostly insensitive adults. They gave him the idea that bigger was somehow better.

I go for checkups when I’m supposed to: every three months to the oncologist and every six months to the breast surgeon. I go to SHARE support group meetings to bolster myself. I try to get enough sleep, despite the occasional night spent wide-eyed with dread.

Why, when I'm cool with being a salt-and-pepper chick, does it so clearly unnerve others?