I heard from a man-friend of mine tonight that I don’t really write with a male audience in mind. So this one’s (mostly) for the boys. For the men. I want to write about everyday heroes. Because tonight in West Prince, where I live with my family of six, there are some men (and yes, …
If you are wondering, you probably don’t have to worry. You are doing just fine. In fact, you are doing better than fine. You’re rocking this gig. Trust your instincts. Believe in yourself. You’re a great Mama. I get impatient with people who make comments about parents saying things like, “I think they are a …
We’re driving. The road, a seemingly endless stretch of gray in front of us. There’s certainly not much to see on either side. And I am bemoaning to the Boy the fact that all the leaves have fallen off the trees. It had been so pretty, I say to him, just a week or so …
I am scraping out the innards of a huge spaghetti squash with a spoon. Yellow fibers and white seeds accumulate in a soft pile on my cutting board. I work purposefully- around and around. The more I scrape, the easier I can see the pale yellowish sides of this fleshy melon-shaped gourd. It is cathartic, …
A hug takes but a second. But that is hard for a big brother to understand, let alone tolerate. And she is tormenting him. Mercilessly. Arms wrapped around his waist in a vice-grip. He allows her for but a moment longer, and then I can see that he’s had enough. He says something smart- words …
Gratitude: it’s a matter of the heart. I could speak of the day. Gorgeous, crisp autumn chill. Leaves pattern the dying grass. Down a heritage road, I can see for a mile a canopy of tree branches laden down with hues of gold, crimson, burnt orange: deep and rich. Air pungent with earthy undertones. The …
{I have been feeling it all week- like a balloon expanding far past its limit. It pushes on my chest and squeezes my lungs. Stress. Anxiety. Tension. It is eating away at me from the inside out. I was able to hide it at first, putting my game face on to face the world. But …
I take it all in. The sky, with bits of pink and grey- strips of color extended across the remains of the day. We head for home- trying to beat the moon. The last One’s bike freezes up. Something about the front brakes- and I’m no bike technician. So while the others push for home, …
Sometimes one just needs to start where they are. A few years ago, I was dealing with some mysterious health issues. I was having trouble with my stomach. Having trouble with my skin. My respiratory system. My mental health. I was having trouble– and thus feeling in general like I was ten years older than …
I had exactly seven minutes. I told Husband to park near the door so we could bolt as soon as I was done shopping, as in the back of my mind I was already planning the second half of the evening. The part where I would get to be a real adult and have conversations …
Tonight, we sit out on the veranda, you and I, while candles flicker quietly at our feet. Three citronella in pots reduce to liquid. I say I like the smell, and you mistakenly think that I have given you a compliment. “It’s the smell of the river,” you say. And it’s true. You do smell …
So I might be a helicopter parent. A little bit hovery with a tad of overwhelming to boot. What’s it to you? I will admit it: I’ve done it again. Overstayed my welcome and got myself kicked out of camp. And all for the sake of saying one too many goodbyes and maybe re-checking that …