Author Archives: Kathy Simmons

A Mid-Summer’s Daydream

Standing amid a sea of tourists on the teeming Boulevard Saint Germain, I watch as the sidewalk artist works his magic on my sister, who sits posed before him. We are in Paris for the weekend, the result of an incredible airfare originating from Dublin, where we are spending two weeks of the summer withContinue reading “A Mid-Summer’s Daydream”

In Search of Picasso

You didn’t say anything about a nude model!” my sister whispered to me, her hushed voice a mixture of both shock and delight. It was the very first night of Sculpting. , a Continuing Education course offered at the local high school, a stone’s throw from our Stuyvesant Town, NYC apartment.  I always loved the idea ofContinue reading “In Search of Picasso”

Frogs, in Life and Death

I have always loved frogs. It started the day my father, he too a frog lover, brought my three sisters and me, to the downstairs pet department of Woolworth’s five and dime. Standing before a random aquarium, I spotted a brilliant flash of jade green, gleefully darting around the tank. And then, as if sensingContinue reading “Frogs, in Life and Death”

I Will Remember You

In my role as a Psychiatric Technician, the goal is to care for patients with professionalism and warmth while maintaining boundaries, within that working relationship. But sometimes, there are certain people who touch your heart in a way you do not expect. The reason may not be clear; they remind you of someone dear fromContinue reading “I Will Remember You”

Unsung Heroes

Sometimes, it is those in the background, the ones who are not center stage, that make a difference. The heroes among us who do their work, unceremoniously unnoticed.  I have chosen three colleagues of mine from the Psych hospital where I work, who touch the lives of our patients every day and whose acts ofContinue reading “Unsung Heroes”