Steve and I were at the store today. Shelves were empty. People were wearing masks. There was something sobering in the air. Life in America had changed very suddenly and very drastically. The cashier was telling me about how the truck was two days late. He said people were lined up before they opened and... Continue Reading →
The first 12 years of my life were spent in the United States Air Force. My father had joined during the Vietnam war and remained in the service until he retired lieutenant colonel many years later. Growing up on an Air Force Base is a very unique experience and not for the faint of heart.... Continue Reading →
I was rearranging my seven year old's room for what felt like the millionth time. He has a bunk bed that has a ladder on one side and a slide on the other. While he was sitting on the top bunk I took the slide down for a few moments. As I was trying to... Continue Reading →
I could tell by his voice I needed to be there. “I’m getting in the car. I am coming,” I promised. “Can I talk to Calvin?” He handed the phone to his roommate. “This is Emerson’s mom. I am coming. Do you have class? Can you and the guys please make sure he isn’t left... Continue Reading →
We drove to Lynchburg just to go to the mall. My son, Wesley, has significant special needs and this week is spring break. Because of those special needs we can not travel further than we can drive. Wesley’s favorite thing in the entire world is going to malls. So, instead of a fabulous beach vacation... Continue Reading →
When I was a child my father had a dark room in our basement. If I close my eyes I can almost smell the chemicals. I would spend time with him there as he would dip a seemingly blank sheet of paper into trays of chemicals. As a child I was not interested in the... Continue Reading →
February 10, 2019 Dear Gary, It has been eight years. Eight years ago today you walked out of our basement door, into the woods, out of our lives and into eternity. Sometimes it feels like eight minutes and sometimes it feels like eight decades. Time is a strange thing when one is grieving. Like everything... Continue Reading →
The morning began in church. My new friends, Ann and Jim, found me and thanked me profusely for the clothes. I asked them to sit with me and they happily took seats. At the end of the service Ann put her hand on my back and lowered her head. She was praying for me. She... Continue Reading →
I began taking ballet lessons when I was just three years old. I never could remember learning ballet just as I couldn't remember learning to walk. It just always seemed to be. By the time I was eleven years old I was taking classes five days a week. My muscles had been trained to the... Continue Reading →
When I was a child and would ask my father the definition of a word he would never give me the answer. He would present me with another question. "What do you think it means?" he would ask me. I would reply "I don't know. That is why I am asking." His next statement was... Continue Reading →
Patience to Endure 