I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything. I had no idea what to do, so I did nothing. Still, the days passed, and there was another sunrise, a ball of red-orange casting a spell of yellow softness onto the white snow, but only for a short time. The hours pass withContinue reading “Circus Freaks and an Animal Parade”
Category Archives: foster parenting
Open My Eyes; Take Me To My People
It sure is cold outside. She was as sweet a baby as ever I have known, and I was so happy that she was mine. But actually, she wasn’t mine. The first time I took her to the social services office to visit with her mom, I had dressed her in my daughter’s outfit, theContinue reading “Open My Eyes; Take Me To My People”
The Butterfly Child
It’s not that I’ve lost my way; I am just not yet sure where I am going. For a time, I was sure that I knew: the activities of my future were far in the distance, many rotations of the sun from the rhythm of today. There was much between my tasks of the dayContinue reading “The Butterfly Child”
When the Gates Go Down: So Much I Wish I Could Say
I’m sorry. I understand. I mean I don’t understand, but I think I might know why. Not exactly…maybe… I watch you. I can see you clutching your secrets tightly near your heart as you melt, ever so slowly, as a candle burning to nonexistence, into your grave. I tried walking beside you, leading the way,Continue reading “When the Gates Go Down: So Much I Wish I Could Say”
Vessels
Deep inside lies the truth. The wall is made of so many things which, separately, split souls that cry out to the empty darkness, but bound together become impenetrable. I know, because I have tried to push it down, to cause it to crumble. It seems nearly sacred, guarded against all that is good andContinue reading “Vessels”
Luke Ate The Snowstorm
“Last year, at this place in Michigan, they got FIFTY-THREE FEET of snow IN ONE DAY.” The words spilled emphatically from his mouth and sent forth little drops of spit that distracted me, but only slightly, as I imagined this extraordinary snow occurrence which, in his mind, had certainly happened. “Maybe you mean fifty-three inches?Continue reading “Luke Ate The Snowstorm”
Mother
In the morning, I saw my mother in the mirror for the very first time. A bit later that same day, my husband reminded me that my mother-in-law was four years younger than me when she lost her husband to cancer. There was a magnificent purple in the dusky sky as it beckoned nightfall. IContinue reading “Mother”
The Way Home
It wouldn’t have mattered how many books I had read or that I had attended lectures and breakout sessions from the foremost experts in the field. Whether I had a master’s degree or the highest level, most current certification was insignificant. It meant nothing, and it never would. I had coffee with a longtime friendContinue reading “The Way Home”
Laughing
Sometimes, I can see it getting closer, But mostly, it’s really far away. I try hard to keep it from coming back, but I can’t. It’s fierce, lively, bright, sharp, glorious, and terribly sad, all at the same time. Even from a distance, its force brings me to my knees. I try to catch it,Continue reading “Laughing”
Girl on the Swing
On the day that summer turned to fall, I took my little son to the park. The blue of the sky made the clouds stand out, drawing our attention to the heavens. There was a college-aged girl on a swing when we arrived. Though I studied her, her eyes never met mine; maybe she neverContinue reading “Girl on the Swing”
