“No is a complete sentence.” My husband tells me this was his grandmother’s mantra.  Grandma Linnie was very good at saying no, even to her darling grandchildren. I didn’t have a grandmother to teach me this lesson.  In fact, the lesson I Iearned was quite the opposite. I learned to say YES to pretty much everything that was asked of

Once upon a time when I was a little girl, I hurt my finger.  I don’t remember what I did; most likely I punched my brother too hard. Anyway, every time I bent my finger it left me squealing in pain. “Ma!” I yelled.  “My finger hurts when I bend it!” My mother looked up at me with half-lidded eyes.