To dive into a drop of water or drink in a sea of stars, I had a microscope and a telescope. My sister had more changes than a kaleidoscope. We lived in a split-level house with a pool in the back and a TV in almost every room. The only thing missing, according to Mom, was a phone in the bathroom.

Love was also missing, but love came and went, a castaway in life's day-to-day. The companionship, the friendship, the partnership were all lost, overboard like flotsam and jetsam from a sinking ship. After fifteen years, my parents were breaking up. Their marriage was on the rocks.