Outside my window, in the tree across the street, a bundle of leaves sways unevenly in the December wind. Bunched together, shriveled and unhappily alone on the otherwise bare branch they are forgotten and victim to the elements. In happier days they were bright green, now they simply are gray-brown and dry. Hearts are not… Continue reading December query
Pushpins
Today I drove by our old house. I do not live there any more. You do though. You and the dog, and the tiny holes left from the push pins I made trying to turn the house to a home. You didn’t notice, it seems, the tiny holes I left or the trying I tried… Continue reading Pushpins
On not being Mary Oliver
I think of her way with wordsthe slow, steady shuffle of her gaitAnd feel here coming towards me the way a loved one would meet you half way down the path.I imagine she wears a well washed shirt, loose pantsand a pair of sandals."Mary" I ask "Does this get any easier?"She does not speak but… Continue reading On not being Mary Oliver
The noticing
Mom and I walked out before dinner. Dad was finishing a meeting in the car. The bookstore we wandered through before heading out to the windy vastness was quiet; smelling like fire and full of summer reads, Christmas gifts, handmade cards ready to be written and sent.Outside there was a jasmine bush that smelled so… Continue reading The noticing
goblins
Hey, it’s mid week of mid-semester. I’ve told generation Z to put away their cell phones more than I care to tell you. Today, I referenced Chicago-the musical and was met with blank stares. I worked a scene so rigorously I left the classroom sweating (I wasn’t acting, I was directing). Two weeks ago 3… Continue reading goblins
Don’t be afraid
Not every song is a sweet one. Not all things get a happy ending. And life is hard. And love even harder. But here we are. Regretfully. And though he will never read this, I have to thank him for so many things-most importantly the reminder that when someone loves you, they do everything they can for as long… Continue reading Don’t be afraid
A lady all her own
My grandmother loved to dance, coffee with a lot of sugar, dogs. She was unafraid to speak up for herself no matter her age, was a great listener, and spent a ton of time on the telephone with friends. She loved college football, sweet-tea, the mini-series “The Thornbirds”. She loved to laugh, loved good gossip… Continue reading A lady all her own
Up and at it
This is what I tell my students: you never enter a moment where you don’t think you are going to achieve your objective. And you fight with everything you have to do just that. Finally, when everything else fails-you stop fighting. You find a new objective after you experience the realization of loss. This is… Continue reading Up and at it
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