He eyes the table near the buffet. “No,” I say. “Over there. By the window.” I sit facing outside. “You’re not going to eat all that,” he says. “Watch me.” I watch him eat. And eat. And eat. I pull the big girl camera out of my purse. As long as I have to wait, […]
Waiting with Courage
The rain’s shredded the white and left only scraps. The birds flock to the feeder, smother it. They dance on bare limbs. It’s easier to see them in winter. I suspect a lot of things become more clear in winter. I’ve got work to do, but I’d rather be here. In front of the window. […]
For When We Fail
It’s half an hour to the game. On good roads. The game starts at 10:20. I want to leave by 9:30. I’m up, showered, dressed. I yell up the stairs at 9. The roads don’t look so good. At 9:30, he’s shoveling, and I’m muttering. At 9:40, he comes in, putters in the basement. My […]
When We Lose Connection
The AT&T technician came yesterday morning–yes, a Sunday–to fix our DSL. We kept losing our connection. By the time he left, it was too late to make it to church 20 miles away. I really wanted to go because I’d hardly been in the last few weeks–no, months, what with being gone so much. […]
Waiting for Spring
The highway stretches and bends white. The grandgirls are riding with us. Grace is playing with her new Kindle Fire, and it sounds like she’s spraying paint in the back seat. Then it’s quiet, and she is reading. She shows me where she’s highlighted some words. Lillee sleeps. I amuse myself by snapping pictures […]
Christmas Has Gone, and I’m Glad
The world changed overnight. This morning it hangs all wet and white. Pines bow to the weight, and the snow pillows soft on the hardwood branches, nestles in the crooks of tree arms. It still falls, silent. It’s a wonder. Christmas has come. And gone. And I’m glad. The gift-giving, it gets me every […]
Shrink Wrapped
My dad does not like wreaths. Not even at Christmas. He tells me that when he was a child, a wreath hung on a door meant death within. He and his friends would make a wide berth as they passed by, silent. He does not like cemeteries, either. And wonders at my fascination with them. […]
Because There’s No Way of Knowing
Sissy and I, we talk about it. Again. All she did was reach to put a dish back on the nightstand. And BOOM! She hit the floor. And the ambulance came. And she never saw her house again. We talk about the lasts. The last time she walked in that door. The last time […]
Unwrapping the Gift(s)
May 9, 2012 Linking this post with Ann and the 1000 Moms Project to help in the funding of a Compassion International Maternity/Child Survival program in Haiti for a whole year. My mom passed away on November 27, 2011. Thank you, Mom, for the simple gifts, for laughter, and for teaching me to […]
The End of the Journey
We are at the bedside. It was the celestial weather report, wasn’t it, Mom? Here comes the snow, and off you go. We make the calls, send the texts, post the posts. When we return, they’ve bathed and dressed her in her favorite top, the one with the sparkle neckline. She wears her glasses, the […]
