This morning on the way home from an eye appointment with Ella, I saw my eagle. I feel such a kinship with this bird and this is the lowest and closest he has ever been flying near me. The pictures are not good because I didn’t think to get the phone/camera in time because I…
Lingering Disappointment
You should never ever tell me how you voted. This is the conclusion I’ve come to. In order for us to coexist peacefully or for me to not be disappointed in you, I cannot know that you voted for a candidate who would not support my daughter. I cannot know that you voted against my…
Embers of Hope
And we still don’t know, just as I suspected. And yet just as I dreaded. We may not know the outcome of the presidential election for quite some time, but we do know this: many of our neighbors and friends that we have categorized as good people because they are nice to us have in…
What is Great?
I want America to be great. But sometimes that’s hard to even visualize when I look at where we are today. What does great even mean? That word has been co-opted by people wearing red hats and I’m not even sure that the majority of them can define the greatness we used to have that…
Blessings in Formica
Back in 1946, when my Mom thinks my great Aunt Jean and Uncle Dale got this formica table, I’m certain they never imagined that almost 75 years later their great great niece Audrey (Little Bit) would have this thing called a laptop sitting on it, and would be using it as a desk for virtual…
Back To School?
There’s no way we can go back to school and keep children and educators safe. I’ve resigned myself to this, and at the same time it makes me really frustrated and really angry. There are tourists and locals filling restaurants here every night. Bars are open. The local water park is hosting kids and their…
Home
What makes a home is very simple: love and safety. Safety to be your whole self and to say anything, while knowing without a shadow of a doubt that you will always be unconditionally loved by the people there. It’s true when you’re 5 and when you’re 75. Home can be a house, apartment, tent,…
Cloud-Clearing
A handful of realizations, some new and some just reminders, changed how the world looked on this cloudy day. This morning I listened as a third-grade teacher made Audrey feel incredibly special in a one-on-one call, scheduled on her own time just to encourage Audrey in her reading and acknowledge her hard work and progress.…
Corona and Communion
Everything is different, and yet everything is the same. The most important people are still the most important people. The most important things are still the most important things. And yet, everything seems different somehow. I guess it’s not actually that things are different so much as that things have been even more revealed. What…
Super Tuesday in Virginia
We voted this morning. Taking our time, reading every name on the ballot with me whispering explanations about what I liked/disliked about each candidate and why who can win is sometimes just as important as who should win. Our children need to see and hear us talk about real issues, and know that we think…
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