Author Archives: hilarymead

One year at a time. That’s as far as I can plan. People always expect me to have a five year plan but I never do. I tell myself this is all about staying open to opportunities and responding to … Continue reading →

  Last weekend, I was driving a carpool and the conversation turned to the topic that strikes fear into the hearts of all parents: losing your kids. Hannah’s friend regaled me with a story of getting separated from her family … Continue reading →

I was trying to explain my idea for this post to Terence: “it’s like, I now see the positive side of being on the margins of all kinds of different experiences.” He laughed. “Nothing like a year in Israel/Palestine to … Continue reading →

A year to the day ago, Hannah, Margaret and I visited their amazing school in Jerusalem for the first time. Later that afternoon, we experienced the city sliding into the peace of shabbat, and we waited for Terence  to arrive … Continue reading →

  Hannah is missing six teeth, and likes to recount to anyone who will listen: I lost this one on the Mass Pike and this one in Jordan and this one in Jerusalem and this one in Italy and this … Continue reading →

I made a very “American parent” mistake the other day. Hannah was invited to a new student pizza party at her new school. All morning, I dreamt of pizza. We’ve been trying to eat really healthily and I was excited … Continue reading →

Last Friday, with both kids in summer camp, I wandered around our house and the surrounding fields, documenting its many beauties. I’m trying to notice things at home the way I eventually began to do in Jerusalem, to slow down … Continue reading →

I haven’t written about my trip to Lebanon in June. (What a year — that I could have whole trips I haven’t yet had time to reflect on. I continue to be ridiculously grateful). I could tell about so many things : … Continue reading →

I used to run an amazing educational non-profit, Breakthrough Cambridge. Our centerpiece program was an intense academic summer session in which college students taught low-income middle school students. These college kids poured themselves into it; for many, it was their … Continue reading →

These boxes arrived yesterday, brought to our door by an incredibly friendly and effective staff person at SAS. (I am really reveling in American customer service, can you tell?!) They contain all the things we shipped from Jerusalem to Delaware. … Continue reading →