My almost eleven month old grandson is finding his voice and although he never uses the actual word, his “no” is crystal clear. Even more than when he shakes his head from side to side, his fits of temper show his frustration with his current situation. He grunts angrily or throws his head back or …
Reality Filtered
Photo by Ashley Goodlett The community grocery store near our first home had an automated coin sorting machine the size of a smart car. My husband took our children there periodically to cash in the pocket change he’d saved up for special adventures. The kids loved the clanking and flashing that followed their upturned paper …
Navigating the Currents
My younger son, Jacob, had a love-hate relationship with surfing. The east coast doesn’t offer much to the enthusiast but after surf lessons with the Eternal Wave Surf Shop in Surfside Beach for his thirteenth birthday and watching hours of YouTube videos, the surf challenged him plenty. We’d load up his gear and head out …
Are You Coming To The Wedding?
The steady gentle breeze was a touch of heaven following the heat wave of the week leading up to the ceremony. Our friends couldn’t have custom-ordered a more picture perfect day for their son’s wedding. The landscaping was immaculate. We would never have guessed the pristine sidewalks were under construction earlier in the week had …
The Choice Is Yours (and Mine)
“You can’t tell me what to do!” Choice words from a younger sibling hung in the air waiting to be refuted. I’m sure I reasoned that I was doing my parents a favor by reminding my sister and brother of what they were supposed to be doing (or not doing) at the time but they …
Over The Top
My portacath was the last visible sign of my cancer treatment. Radiation acted on my internal organs in a way I’ll never see with my eyes. Chemotherapy traveling through my bloodstream accessed every cell in my body, targeting stray cancer cells wherever they tried to hide. Multiple scars on my abdomen are visual reminders of …
Believing For You
Have you heard or read something and immediately thought of someone else? Maybe a shared memory or a memorable conversation from the past played out in your mind like it was yesterday. Singer and songwriter Dante Bowe, in a conversation recorded for YouTube https://youtu.be/Rg0ye1kWGPI with well known Christian artist, David Crowder, recalls sitting at his …
Smell The Color Nine*
What does cancer look like? What does it smell like, or taste like or feel like? To me, it feels like melting and it smells like the inside of an N95 mask during a four hour chemotherapy session. Even after I’m home and the mask is off, it’s the metallic taste that coats my tongue; …
Worst Case Scenario
What plays out in your head when you’re not concentrating on anything specific? My husband and I were talking earlier today after a second botched delivery of a piece of furniture we’d ordered and he commented that we should plan for the worst again on the next attempt. I agreed. I tend to plan for …
Delectable Faith
What makes a banana split or a buffet better than just plain ice cream or simple salad? The layers of goodness heaped on the already delicious base. Of course ice cream alone is a treat but add on your favorite toppings and a pile of fresh whipped cream and it only gets better. Faith is …
A Fitting Reply 