Simple Things
Daniel hurried out of the car, ran to the porch, and turned off the outside light. Quickly he made his way back into the yard and stood beside my husband. “I wanna’ watch the moon, Dada.” The two of them stood in the dark and watched the moon. Daniel pointed out stars and airplanes and Read more
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When We Eat Our Eggs
Our hens aren’t laying. For months, we have searched for a solution. Finally, my husband was outside and heard the “I-just-laid-an-egg” cackle. He rushed over in time to see one of the other hens eating the egg. There are many reasons chickens eat their eggs or the eggs of others in the flock. Boredom sets Read more
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Depression: Call It What It Is
“I felt sad.” “I didn’t have energy to take care of my new little baby.” “It should have been the happiest time of my life.” “Somedays, I couldn’t even get out of bed, much less get dressed and take care of chores.” “Nothing made it better.” “I couldn’t make myself.” The Battle Is Real For Read more
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Carrying My Blue Bag
Hair dryer. Check. Extra clothes. Check. Extra medicine. Check. Extra everything. Check. I lugged my heavy blue suitcase through the airport terminal. On my back was a green, camping backpack with two changes of clothes, a rain jacket, towel, bar of soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, journal, pen, bible, and toilet paper. I checked the Read more
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You Are Here
“Excuse me, but may I ask you a very strange question?” The lady, deeply distracted, looked up, “Sure,” she replied. “I’ve been standing on the outside of this glass door watching you. It looked like you were using the other side of this window as a reflection to apply lipstick. Is that what you were Read more
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Playing in the Mud
“Mama, come over here,” my oldest beckoned from the playground. “I’m in the middle of something, what do you need?” I yelled across the yard. “You’ve gotta’ come over here and touch this mud. It feels so good.” “Mud? Seriously. I have touched mud my whole life, Carter. I think I’m caught up, but you Read more
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Help in Disguise
It wasn’t particularly late when I pulled up in my yard. I stood outside a minute and looked at the star-studded sky, then climbed my front steps onto the porch. My husband had fallen asleep in his chair; all the lights were off and apparently Frank, our dog, had dozed off as well. I wasn’t Read more
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Don’t Eat That! It’s Poisonous!
“Don’t eat that! It’s poisonous,” I yelled across the playground. “They aren’t poisonous,” the second-grade boy told me, “I eat them all the time. See,” and he popped a shelled acorn into his mouth. I stood there. Mouth gaping. I looked at one of my coworkers, “My mother has lied to me all these years.” Read more
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Red Sky in Morning
“Ooh, Mama. Look at that pink sky,” my youngest pointed as we drove to school. “It’s so pretty.” Immediately I was taken back to a conversation with my husband over a decade ago. “The sky is absolutely gorgeous this morning,” I told him, “I think I’m going to leave the top to my Jeep under Read more
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I Was Glad He Broke His Leg
Each year when I taught elementary school there was that one kid. The one who made my life as a teacher extra hard. The one who challenged everything I did. The one that pushed all my buttons and made my hair turn gray. For discussion’s sake, I will call him Clyde. Clyde was known for Read more
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