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When Death Comes Calling
You think you’ll know how you’ll feel when a parent dies. You can assume or make guesses based on your relationship. But really, that’s you convincing yourself you’ve got it under control. Turns out, that headspace control? It’s a farce… a lie you’re telling yourself to get through your days. Truth is, you have no effing idea how you’ll feel ’til you get the call. And how you’ll feel all the minutes after…. Here I am. Tuesday. 8:48 PM. Call. Received. For the record, I feel overwhelmingly sad and guilty. Not the relief I expected. Anticipated. Hoped for. Mom, I hope you find peace. I hope you know how much…
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She has cancer.
September 30, 2014. The phone call. We heard the words. I wasn’t surprised based on the weeks leading up to that day. We are three girls in our family. We rally when we need to. Doctors’ appointments followed by waiting. Then the diagnosis. Our baby sister then 34, was starting a battle that claims so many. A mom of three and really a baby herself (at least to her two older sisters), our baby sister was scared to death. And so were we. And so it began…. six months of doctors’ visits, hospital visits, chemo, baldness, finding strength, and being so sick. Her daughter, then five, struggled to understand –…
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It Happened that Thursday
Thursday, October 19, 2017. 3:22 PM. The cheery jingle of an arriving text message caused no alarm. Just another afternoon heading home from campus. Youngest sister checking in. I glance at the phone while the car cools down. Falling below 80 degrees in October is always the hope by Floridians, but jack-o-lanterns turning mushy in Florida heat and humidity is the reality. Ready to head home, I begin steering the car out of its space and head toward the main road. Her words stop me: “Mom just called. You guys need to call me now.” I dial the phone. Her shaky voice does not hide her concern. I can feel…
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Of All the Places….
of all the places, i remember it best. our house on the corner – suburban Miami circa 1970s: 3 bedrooms. long hallway. “florida” room. tall heater on the living room wall. a front porch for making mud pies. sunday dinners on the homemade table. jumping fish. spilled spaghetti…. slid right off the plate! boy, was mom mad! nail polish in the carpet. a bunny (and his poo!) in.the.house. a dog playing in our yard. pulling weeds every weekend. cleaning the bathroom. my bedroom with corner windows. always rearranging my books. lots of books. writing. lisa t lived across the street and one house over. cute mark, her…
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The Poetry We Live
I often stand at our fridge, looking at the dozens of words, all magnetized and waiting to be noticed, moved, and meshed into a poem or story. I wait to see what jumps out at me – combinations of words that take on a life of their own. A few months ago, four words stood out – each in its own place on the fridge, but each needing to be moved closer to the others. Here’s what they said: The poetry we live. I moved them close together. Gave them their own space. Those four words have been there every day since, each time catching my eye when I walk by… and every time, I think, “What will the art…
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Sunday Funnies… {Happy Mother’s Day 2016}
Happy Mother’s Day! Have an awesome Sunday! 🙂
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People and Boundaries…
My early morning writing time was consumed today with this topic, rolling around in my head for a while now…. It’s a funny thing about people and boundaries. Learning when to push in and when to step back is a necessary process, but a fragile balance, indeed. Whether family, friends, coworkers, or others – respecting boundaries – the proverbial line in the sand – is critical to….. what? Maintaining relationships? Maintaining your sanity? Both? Probably. I’ve spent a lot of time this school year understanding this process better. As an Instructional Coach working with fellow teachers, both seasoned and new, I’ve had to learn my timeline is not others’ timeline and my expectations have to take a…
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Mocking my Insomnia…{Six Word Wednesday}
His hearty snores mock my insomnia. What’s your story in six today?
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Sunday Funnies… {Peeling the Perspectives}
My husband and I approach things very differently. (I’m pretty sure we’re not the only couple who’d say this.) But our end result is often the same – from the outcome of a task to a location we’re heading… Case in point: How to peel a Halo. Recently, we each had one, and when I scooped up the skins to throw away, I got distracted and set them down on my way through the kitchen. (Shocker, he’d tell you!) Anyway… when I walked back through to grab the orange skins and toss them, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Take a look for yourself: He: the neatnik Me: the proverbial 12-year-old boy… a little messy…. 😉 Have an awesome Sunday!
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Come on Down!
Ever have one of those moments when a breeze, a song, or a smell reminds you of a time and place that’s faint in memory, but vivid in your heart? Everything else around you falls away and in that moment, you’re transported back in time. That happened to me this week. During an extraordinarily hectic day at work, I decided to step off campus and head around the corner to the little Chinese restaurant. A quiet lunch where no one knew my name was the respite I needed. While waiting for my food, decompressing, and fiddling with my phone (what did we do before mobile devices??), I realized I was hearing a familiar song….. And just like that – I was…
words + colors guide the process
