Having taught in Port Washington, I remember well this time of year when graduation takes place. So much energy and preparation permeate the community. Soon, a new life chapter will begin for so many.

One hot day in early June, a red-tailed hawk chick perched on the second-floor gutter of a Syracuse University sorority house, whistling plaintively for its parents. The chick had fledged the previous ...

[Editor’s note: This essay first appeared in the “Chapters of Our Lives” issue of PREMIUM Magazine, which featured personal storytelling.] Nestled on my porch, a cup of coffee in one hand and ...