If ever you were a visitor to our family at the house on the hill near the university, the Third Street bungalow, or our current homestead, you sat on the purple couch, or, at the very least, took note of its presence. The purple couch was like an old friend. It accepted us, its people,Continue reading “The Purple Couch”
Tag Archives: foster parenting
The Kindest of Wolves
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not into thine own understanding.” –Proverbs 3:5-6 “Shut up, you stupid idiot, or else I’m going to punch you in the eye.” “Hi, Miss K. I love you.” I am secretly just a bit jealous of the spontaneous embrace that my little boy gave toContinue reading “The Kindest of Wolves”
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”
Ode to My Child’s Teacher
You have been my child’s teacher, and I am grateful. For a span of nearly twenty-five years, children of mine have had the privilege of being taught, nurtured, cared for, and loved by so many extraordinary teachers, men and women who have helped to form these young beings into who they are. My nearly grownContinue reading “Ode to My Child’s Teacher”
Sunsets and Storms
“How long do you think I’ll last? I mean, when do you think I am going to die?” Ethan’s questions still sometimes catch me a bit off guard. I am not sure I ever give him answers that satisfy or even make sense to him. I had to come up with something. “Well, Grampa isContinue reading “Sunsets and Storms”
Get Me Some Milk, You Idiot!
Pillars of light danced from the early evening waters of the lagoon, a thousand glow sticks from a summer’s festival stood mid air. The moon would rise, and the lights would fade as the sky’s darkness would give in to what had been its destiny all along. If there had been magic, still it wasContinue reading “Get Me Some Milk, You Idiot!”
Sparkles and Fear
She didn’t say a word, and neither did I. It may have seemed like just a piece of paper, but to me it represented much more. For nearly eighteen years, I had held on to it and kept it safe. And just as I handed it to her, she let it slip away. Wendell wasContinue reading “Sparkles and Fear”
Impatient
Even though the plant’s tag read “full shade,” I was sure that if I planted it in a bright, sunny spot, it would do even better. I have learned much about plants over the years. I have learned that more sun is definitely not better for impatiens, and that tomatoes will not grow well ifContinue reading “Impatient”
What I Hope You Will Know
“And just as the darkness got very dark, he bumped into his big fur mother, and she took her little fur child home in her arms and gave him his supper.” –from “Little Fur Family” by Margaret Wise Brown Here is what I hope you will know: it is different. Raising babies that IContinue reading “What I Hope You Will Know”
There’s a Chicken in My Car: October Baseball and Other Rarities
She wanted to know what she should bake; she was taking suggestions via Facebook. My friend Chrissy is a self-proclaimed therapeutic baker. She’s also a foster mom. She goes to court, she comes home, and she bakes. And lucky are we that live close enough to be her neighbors. Foremost in my mind as theContinue reading “There’s a Chicken in My Car: October Baseball and Other Rarities”
