Maria Leonard Olsen
Bio
Maria is an attorney, author, podcaster and radio show host in Washington, D.C. For more info, see www.MariaLeonardOlsen.com and @fiftyafter50 on social media.
Stories (5)
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When Mom Kidnapped Us
When my parents split up, my father threatened to have my Filipina mom deported. So she kidnapped my brother and me. It only lasted a weekend. She felt guilty and brought us back. By then, though, the damage was done. So my father got custody of us. This surprised me because my father was physically abusive towards my mother. In fact, at age six, I remember jumping on his back to try to get him off of her when he was hitting her.
By Maria Leonard Olsen5 years ago in Families
Who Saved Whom
I start each day with this large, hairy guy on my chest looking at me expectantly, and sometimes licking me, to wake me up. "Are you going to lay there wasting this beautiful day?" he seems to say. He won't let me. If I don't get up, he uses his paws to drag the covers off of me, despite any protestations. I generally do not like being rousted from my slumbers, but I cannot resist this guy.
By Maria Leonard Olsen5 years ago in Petlife
All the Coconuts on the Island
Dear Nana, I want so badly for my daughter to know you. You were the toughest and most resourceful woman I have known. You gave birth to my mother while the Japanese were bombing Manila in 1942. Hours later, you, your husband and your newborn were evacuated to an island to wait out the rest of the War.
By Maria Leonard Olsen5 years ago in Families
