Category Archives: Philadelphia

EVERYTHING WE HAVE INHERITED

Posted on June 2, 2020 by Emily

My walks through the streets of Center City Philadelphia each day have turned into a relentless reel of damaged and discarded souls, the life literally drained out of them. The homeless, the mentally ill, the addicted. Their suffering feels heightened, … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Black Lives Matter, Philadelphia, Racism | Tagged | 2 Comments

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME: UPSIDE DOWN IN THE AGE OF TRUMP

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Emily

It’s harder than I thought it would be to write about gifts and gratitude, in the face of this creeping darkness, this foul energy that seems to have tainted everything. Today, I am celebrating the day of my birth – … Continue reading →

Posted in Life After Cancer, Philadelphia, yoga | 1 Comment

finish line

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Emily

With cancer, unlike a half marathon, there is no finish line.  There is freedom from active disease, but never from the threat that it may one day return.  So the tests and checkups stand as markers on a road that … Continue reading →

Posted in Life After Cancer, Philadelphia, rain, running | Leave a comment

psychic whiplash (or, “what is life?”)

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Emily

A few weeks ago, I learned that one of my friends is pregnant with her second child.  This friend went through years of heartache before having her first child, and the road to her second pregnancy hasn’t been without its … Continue reading →

Posted in Infertility, Life After Cancer, Philadelphia, running | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

a different kind of marathon

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Emily

Today marks my first day of rest since officially embarking on training for the Philadelphia Marathon in November.  I ran five of the last six days, in soul-crushing heat and humidity.  Mercifully, I had a great running companion at my … Continue reading →

Posted in Life After Cancer, Philadelphia, running, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

LUSH LIFE

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Emily

The rain won’t stop.  The spring and early summer have been a seemingly endless stretch of rain-soaked days.  The world has turned relentlessly green.  I’ve heard weather-related griping about commuting into the city on rainy morning after rainy morning; wet … Continue reading →

Posted in gardening, Life After Cancer, Philadelphia | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

mid-life young adult cancer crisis

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Emily

Has my license to write about cancer expired?  I’ve been thinking about the countless numbers of young adults who have been diagnosed with cancer since I entered this universe over five years ago.  I’ve mused on the lives lost, the … Continue reading →

Posted in adoption, First Descents, Life After Cancer, Philadelphia, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

burning doubt – lessons from a yoga mala

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Emily

At 5:30 this morning, I offered up all of my doubt to the forces of balance and harmony in the universe.  Then, along with about 10 other women, I performed 108 sun salutations – a yoga mala to mark the … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Life After Cancer, Philadelphia, Work, yoga | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

no time to waste

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Emily

Four years ago, during a heatwave not unlike the one we are now experiencing, I lay confined in the partially air-conditioned recesses of our rented home in Northern Liberties, hanging on to the edges of the life with which four … Continue reading →

Posted in adoption, Family, Life After Cancer, Philadelphia, Work | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

early thanksgiving

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Emily

My original thought last evening, after rocking out insanely for 13.1 miles, was to simply offer a post of thanks for all of the incredible artists – some of whom I’ve loved for my whole life, some of whom are … Continue reading →

Posted in adoption, Life After Cancer, music, Philadelphia, running | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment