My husband hit a home run with dinner plans when he asked if he could pick up a specific meal from a specific restaurant for us one evening. In our thirty-one years of marriage, we’ve had plenty of exchanges involving what we’d have for dinner that sound like echoes. What do you want? I don’t …
Trust Fall
As I sat rocking her, my granddaughter, Amelia, jerked suddenly, enough to wake herself from a sound sleep. As I tried to soothe her, an image from the past appeared vividly in my mind. My husband and I were at summer camp with our kids and the teens from our church. Our group was divided …
Meaning(Full) Life
I sat with my dad on the eve of a second heart surgery. His thirteen year old replacement valve now needs replacing. We talked about his great-grandchildren and how quickly they’re growing. We caught up on the day to day and tried to solve the world’s problems, but I could sense what was really on …
Living Under A Shadow
Thomas is one and a fledgling walker. His mom insists that he hold her hand for safety in parking lots and on sidewalks, but he is free to roam inside his playroom or fenced yard. Sometimes he still chooses to hold her hand if the ground is particularly uneven or he’s in unfamiliar territory. I …
Seeing With Fresh Eyes
My niece, Anna, ran for her phone to take a picture of the red skyline above the lake in my backyard tonight. She snagged her sister by the arm on her way out the door. Hearing them exclaim over the beauty of the sunset reminded me of how many times I’ve been stopped in my …
Where is your Damascus?
The spring of my daughter’s wedding, she asked if we could ride the Virginia Creeper Trail together. We traveled to Damascus, the midpoint of the thirty-five mile trail, rented bikes and chartered a lift to the trailhead seventeen miles up in Whitetop. That first year was perfectly magical! We shared a quaint little room in …
Focus Forward
As I drove home from visiting my daughter in the mountains earlier this evening, I watched the sun setting. My southeastern route meandered through the foothills and the pinks and oranges of dusk stayed to my right until one winding section placed the western sky right in front of me. This is the view I …
Eavesdropping
I thought I heard my granddaughter stirring in her crib as I brushed my teeth in the guest bath across from her room. I stood outside her door, holding my breath to listen, as I’ve done hundreds of times before with my own children. I waited for the sound of her rhythmic breathing before heading …
Here! Here!
My grands are on the move! The three month old is close to rolling over but that doesn’t stop her from being mobile. She turns herself in complete circles by kicking her legs and last week she opened the DVD player with her feet. The thirteen month old is walking more confidently and becoming more …
Tolerance for Truth
Fall is officially here and leaves are falling faster than gas prices, but thankfully they’re both coming down. Definitely my favorite season as my closet will attest, but I had one of those unwelcome realizations this morning. I reorganize my closet when the days seem hottest every year, pulling sleeveless dresses and tops to the …
A Fitting Reply 