Insomnia is a thief, for it robs us of needed rest for our bodies and our minds. And it seems insomnia is the first to jump on the bandwagon when trials come, making it impossible to find peace and have hope. As a teenager, I spent many a night alone as my mother worked the midnight... Continue Reading →
For nearly three years, we have lived next door to a mother and daughter who actually moved in the rental property next door the same week we bought our house. I never went over to saying hello, and they never came over to introduce themselves. It seems like knowing your neighbors is old-fashioned today. I... Continue Reading →
During an especially difficult time in my life, I wondered if the earth was some kind of cosmic prison for the rest of the universe, the place people are sent when they have misbehaved in the rest of the cosmos. Being born black in the South in the 1950s, female, poor, and unattractive by cultural... Continue Reading →
Sometimes one unexpected question can change the way you see yourself. For me, the question was asked after a lecture on domestic violence in one of my sociology questions. A young female student raised her hand and asked, "How did you become such a strong woman after all that you have been through?" I stopped... Continue Reading →
To me, one of the most painful times as a parent is when your toddler says, "I can do it myself!" Those words have stopped many a parent in their tracks, mouths agape, silently screaming, "No! Not Yet!" It is a downward slope from that moment to "I need the car tonight," and it seems... Continue Reading →
Being sick and confined to bed the last two weeks gave me time for serious reflection. When I was a little girl of age nine, I remember the older people in church thanking God for waking up in their "right mind." I did not fully understand then what they meant by having a right mind.... Continue Reading →
One of the wonderful perks of being a professor was seeing the reactions of parents at graduation. The professors were required to attend at least one ceremony each year, but, wherever I was teaching, I always volunteered to attend all of the graduation services, much to the relief of my colleagues who were not as... Continue Reading →
I have often wished for two of me, especially when I have found myself with more to do than time to do it. I would think that it would be great to be able to be in two, or even three, places at one time, so that I could say yes to even more requests... Continue Reading →
I was the guilty party, but I did not want to suffer the consequences of my actions, so I stayed quiet as my young male cousin, Leon, was punished for my transgressions. My sister, JoAnn, and I had moved in with our great-aunt who had raised our mother. We called her Aunt Brownie, and she... Continue Reading →
