Author: Ron Stempkowski
The Refuge of Fridays
I’ve been thinking a lot about Fridays lately; how much I love them. And look forward to them. How they feel like a warm cocoon after a challenging week of work. And how drastically my feelings abou... Read More
January 18: A Decade Later
I’m pretty ardent with the attention I pay to my calendar and to my journal (and to my blog, for that matter), marking it with momentous occasions—both good and bad. Ken’s cancer and death were ... Read More
You’re Welcome, John Hughes
Growing up in the 80s was special. In many ways. It was special because we were forced to interact with other, decades before the age of the smartphone. There was no internet, no tablets, no 24/7 news... Read More
The Matriarch
Ken was part of a wonderful family. When I entered said family in the early 2000s, Ken’s gram, Anne, reigned over it. Her home in Michigan City, Indiana, was the hub of family gatherings every holid... Read More
Jurassic Canyon: A Starved Rock Adventure
I’ve written about Starved Rock before (here and here). It’s a beautiful state park 100 miles southwest of Chicago. I’ve gone hiking there several times this year. But last weekend, ... Read More
Dear Dad: A Year of Truths
Dear Dad, A year? I still shake my head. How could it be a year since you died? My unstoppable, force-of-nature father. The man who I’m named for. The man who I get my height and my blues eyes from.... Read More
Honoring the Day
June 1 used to feel like a prison of the worst kind. The kind I was forced to visit annually. And be held there for 24 hours, reliving the events of 2011 when Ken died. Dread for the following year be... Read More
The Return of Super Woman
When I walked into the Oncology Department of the hospital with my mom, we were greeted by a masked figure in a cape. It was my sister, Shelli. Or Super Woman as we’ve taken to calling her. I bought... Read More