Beyond grief, jealousy may be the darkest emotion to stumble upon. And with furious fighting, faster bleeds the wound. Sept. 30, 2007: CSD, a national deaf communications non-profit, finalized SC layoffs. The next few days were spent packing up equipment alongside Juli, my boss. “GA to SKSK” she joked, spouting
My Quaker Parrot Petrie died. You know those moments in life that freeze and replay on loop over and over in our heads, causing our hearts to yearn for a redo? Last night was one of those for me. After Kevin fell asleep, I began the nightly check on our
I’m standing in Walmart having a slight panic attack. I’m looking at an array of thick, glorious workbooks for preschool and kindergarten children. I love workbooks. Seven year old Maggie does too. Nine year old Jack, not so much. But Caleb. Hrmmmm… He starts kindergarten in four weeks. Awwwwww they’re
My almost three year old is lying in my arms. She’s my very last baby and I feel her aging acutely. We are on the master bed watching Sesame Street. She’s singing along with Elmo. And clapping. “What’s the letter of the day?” *clap clap* And she’s completely naked. Her fine
An infant’s wail shattered the morning. My eyes dart up from the last bite of chicken biscuit and settle on a couple frozen in place 15 feet away. The crying persists. An old, familiar tingle rises in my chest at the unexpected sound of a baby’s cry, forcing me to wrap
Today is my Mama’s 75th birthday. Her name is Priscilla. The second of nine born to a mill village worker and his beloved wife in 1942 era Winnsboro, SC. The United States had just entered World War 2. Pearl Harbor was bombed when Mama was in utero. Her earliest childhood
There’s a certain pair of my high heels that Maggie keeps stealing. The four inch ones. Dark brown. Peep toe. With silver studs. I often catch her clunking around the house with them on. It always annoys me. And I snap at her. I tell her to stop. To leave
Did you know that the full moon in April has an ancient name in Native American culture? It’s called the “Pink Moon”. Last month was the “Worm Moon”. Next month is the “Flower Moon.” I didn’t know this. It’s 4:25 am. I’m outside. Staring into space. Smushed in between my
