Gradon Tripp

26 years ago today, my mother died.
Emma Mae Waters was getting out of work at the New Hampshire state mental hospital, where she was a nurse. While on her way to her car, she was abducted by Robert Bruneau, her estranged and abusive husband — my stepfather. Long story short, she didn’t get out of [...]

Two and a half years ago, I got a call from my mother. Nothing unusual about that, right? After the typical chit-chats and how-do-you-dos, the real purpose of her call was revealed: Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
This, obviously, hit the family hard. I’ve written about him before, so you may have an idea about [...]

Thanksgiving is a time for reflection.
Like many of us, I often think about what I don’t have. What I’d like to do. What I need to achieve a certain goal.
While it’s good for motivation, it’s important to remember what you have. Remembering what really matters in life helps me stay grounded.

My parents live in Florida, so we don’t see them very often. As a present for his 70th birthday, my brother-in-law took my father to Newfoundland on a moose hunting trip. Successful after just a few days, they returned to my sister and brother-in-law’s house Petersham. (For comparison, Petersham has a population of 1,180, less [...]