On my desk
THIS MONTH
Reach me on
FACEBOOK
facebook.com/susanatwd
Follow me on
INSTAGRAM
@susanspencerSusan Spencer
Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]8
WRITE TO US
at [email protected]
or Woman’s Day,
300 West 57th Street,
New York, NY 10019.
Submissions are edited for
length and clarity.
FOLLOW US ON
Facebook: facebook.com
/womansdaymagazine
Instagram: @womansdaymag
Pinterest: pinterest.com
/womansdayR
ecently, walking down the
street with my 15-year-old
daughter, I felt her hand slip
into mine—and stay there.
I couldn’t recall the last time we’d held
hands (when she was 5? 6?), and it was
one of those moments that sent a jolt of
happiness through me. In a recent essay,
writer Margaret Renkl described the
experience of seeing her nephew who
was graduating from high school: “All I
did was turn my back for a second, a half second, and he was
grown.” Any parent can relate to this sentiment—as the saying
goes, when it comes to raising children, the days are long
but the years are short. Seemingly in the blink of an eye, my
little girl has reached her second year in high school. I love the
path she’s on, but I also want everything to slow down
so I can appreciate who she is now. (That’s why I like our
idea, on page 89, of creating a time capsule at the start of the
school year.) As we embark on another crazy-busy fall, it’s
my aim to hit pause more often. I know her hand won’t be in
mine forever, but I’m hoping to hold on just a bit longer.GREAT READ
Ann Patchett’s latest novel,
The Dutch House, is a beautiful
portrayal of a brother and sister
whose relationship transcends
loss. Put this at the top of your fall
reading list. ($2 8 , at amazon.com
and independent bookstores)COOKIE POWER
Jam + peanut butter = the perfect
after-school snack. Just add a glass
of milk! Recipe, page 95.PS: Parenting kids through the teen years and beyond is a
journey best taken with lots of support (and wine!). Check out
Grown & Flown, a new book by Lisa Heffernan and Mary Dell
Harrington. Honest and authentic, it’s an essential resource.FAMILY
TREASURES
Our time capsule
contains, among other
things, a Playbill (we
love Broadway!) and a
stone from our happy
place, Vermont.DANIELLEDALY;MIKE^GARTEN(COOKIES);CHRIS^ECKERT/STUDIO^D^(SPENCER).^