A few weeks ago the girl went for a walk with our neighbor and her daughter and their puppy. (We have put a moratorium on the addition of new animals to our household, so she takes opportunities where she can get them.) As soon as she got back to our yard she told me I … More Snakes in the Grass
I could not have been more than five when I acquired that album. I don’t remember if it was a birthday or Christmas gift, or if it was even a gift to me in the first place. It’s possible I just took ownership of it after coming across it in someone else’s vast 1970s record … More I Will Always Love You
Twenty-four years ago. I know it sounds quite euphemistic, but it really does seem like just yesterday. It was the fall of 1992. I sat with a group of fellow college freshmen and waited for the history professor who would be leading our winter term American History Study Tour to come give us the scoop. … More Master, mentor, friend of mine
It has been almost a year, both since we chatted, and since we have not chatted, about your girl. I still remember vividly that morning when, per my usual routine, I stumbled across your post on Facebook and literally hit my knees on the unforgiving linoleum floor of my bathroom. My mom was still staying … More On my mind.
I hate election years. I’m sure there was a time in our country’s history when the potential of democracy created an air of excitement–hope even, and I mean real hope, not just words on a campaign poster–but I feel like that time is long past. That train stopped running years ago and the tracks are … More Choice.
It is 4 a.m. I went to bed with what I told Trent was “discomfort,” but now the pain in my abdomen is the stuff epidural requests during labor are made of. I know, because I have made those requests, and they were granted quickly, so I have never actually felt this kind of protracted … More Wait. See.
It was summer, and I was small–6 or 7. MaMa left the car running and walked me by the hand into the Prosperity Post Office. We were on our way to the grocery store or some other mundane destination, but time with her was never ordinary, and this was no exception. Stamps were 20 cents … More Remembering MaMa
I’ve been thinking a lot about this unfinished draft since I wrote about it on Sunday, and there’s no doubt in my mind that although a lot of other things occupy my time, this draft has been an overwhelming mental and emotional roadblock for me, and I really need to put it behind me. I’m not … More The one I can’t forget: December 2007
“What fed your sweet tooth? Write about a favorite candy you remember from childhood.” I don’t remember how old my cousin Tanya and I were when we started walking up the hill to the store by ourselves. What I do remember is a handful of change still warm from my grandfather’s wallet, blackberries and pink … More Sweet
I left my phone at home today, which is the subject of a whole other post about how I am entirely too dependent on perpetual communication. Consequently, I missed a call and a message at 11:30 this morning. When I have a missed call AND a new voice mail message, I get those notices in reverse. In … More Shaken and stirred
one small corner of the universe 