Carol looked forward to having her son, Todd, visiting from his new home in Australia. It had been too long since she had seen him. She had great plans for the two of them, including cooking classes at the local mall and tickets to see a jazz legend at the university. To share your interests... Continue Reading →
We watched as Karla, our nanny who charges fees as though we are part of the nobility, came running toward the chalet in British Columbia that we were renting for our vacation. The fire inside was so cozy that no one, not even my husband and me, wanted to move to see what was the... Continue Reading →
Caleb wondered what the glowing lights were that suffused the moss on the stone wall surrounding his cottage. His wife, Jackie, told him to stay clear, for he had no idea whether the light was dangerous. But, Caleb just laughed at her, remarking on her many anxieties that kept her from enjoying life to the... Continue Reading →
It was the 1970s, and dressing like a hippie was the "in" thing. That often meant experimenting with drugs. I left my hometown to live with my best friend. I was the epitome of the country bumpkin, looking to give up my monotonous life for one with more fun. My friend decided that I needed... Continue Reading →
"But can she cook?" That is the question Jack's mother, Laura, asked regarding his new fiancé, Kathleen. It did not impress Laura that Kathleen was about to become a doctor, or that she had told her over the phone to always use sunblock when out in the garden. What mattered to Laura was that her... Continue Reading →
I was listening to a song named Loved Heals, and it struck me just how true that has been in my life. Mothers and fathers who live in poverty-stricken areas do not love their children any less than middle-class and wealthy parents. But, the hardships and violence of poverty often takes a psychological as well... Continue Reading →
Jan and Carol have grown accustomed to the stares they engender when together in public. They understand why people are confused. They are opposites in many ways. Jan is more liberal in her ideology, while Carol is more conservative. Jan votes Democratic and Carol votes Republican. People wonder how can they still be such great... Continue Reading →
Howbeit, Lila loved the bouquet of yellow roses, it was the card accompanying it that gave her reason to pause and reflect. On it, Joel had written one question: Are you ready to be loved again? Normally intrepid and undaunted by others' opinions of her actions, her three children were unanimous in their objections to... Continue Reading →
Tattooed on my body are the struggles I have survived, These marks define what I believe to be true. They tell the world that I have overcome mountains, And in succeeding, my strength has been renewed. Scissored from my life are the fears that kept me Afraid to ascend to the heights of whom I... Continue Reading →
My mother-in-law loved to go mushroom-hunting before she had a series of small strokes. She knew every mushroom paradise in the state parks near her house, especially places filled with Chantrelles, a very lovely golden color. She would show us what to look for, and oh, the excitement when my in-laws found a patch of... Continue Reading →
Help from Heaven 