We’re home now but the weather today reminds me of the first two and a half days of last week’s beach vacation, rainy and cold. Much too cool and windy outside for the two and six month olds, just cold enough to drain the excitement from the toddlers in the first five minutes, and no …
Compatibility
The church where I was married to my husband of thirty-three years called a new pastor mere months before our wedding, which had been scheduled for over a year. He required us to attend premarital counseling sessions with him before he performed our ceremony. We met with him over the course of a month, completing …
An Unqualified Yes
On Wednesday, March 24, 2021, five months into my cancer treatment and three-quarters of the way through my chemotherapy, my website, http://www.afittingreply.com went live. I chose the longest possible commitment period- ten years- and paid in advance to secure my website. I committed to posting twice weekly. There have been days like today when I …
No Answer
I wanted so badly to reply but I bit my tongue. I felt the color rising in my face as I hung up the phone. Several remarks filed through my mind like a multiple choice question on a dreaded standardized test. I landed on none of the above, took a deep breath, and went back …
No More Wasted Time
When our kids aren’t sleeping or eating appropriately, we look at what’s going on in the moment to try and find a reason. The problem, however, most likely stems from something further back than we tend to look. Maybe they were exposed to a germ last week that has been working against their little systems. …
I Cried
As I backed the Lolly bus from the garage, I looked up to see if Thomas’s little face was pressed to the window below the blind upstairs. He sleeps in his race car bed in the room above the garage when he visits and he had just told me the previous morning that he peeked …
Same But Different
Four grandchildren, similar in so many ways, bear traces of genetic code passed through familial lines from our forebears beyond the five generations for which I can account. I am so much Myrtle passed through David to me, but I am also Ansel through Joyce. The lines expand each time a marriage happens and the …
This Is Hard
Thomas puked in the car again, effectively destroying a third car seat in his three short years. When I asked if he felt like he needed to be sick, he said, “I don’t,” but, according to his mom, commenting from the driver’s seat afterwards, he meant, “I don’t want to!” Then he did. He retched …
Angels Unaware
Thomas turns three today but he doesn’t live in town so we celebrated his birthday early at the zoo. We saw some animals, rode the carousel, and hiked a mile uphill to hit the splash pad before lunch. It was hot, mighty hot, so we lingered over lunch and walked through the aquarium before heading …
Where You Finish
Thomas is learning about the importance of listening. Since his brother, Timothy, was born, his mom and dad have been more distracted and he’s adapted by taking advantage of their divided attention. I noticed that his mom and by extension, his Poppy and I, have had to consistently repeat ourselves just to get his attention. …
A Fitting Reply 