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 …
I Got Nothing
I’m a fixer. I’m not at the same level as my mother who has more trouble sitting still than I do. I’m not lazy; just a hair more laid back like my dad. Still it’s hard for me to admit I don’t have the answer. Not every situation has an accounting solution where the spreadsheet …
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 …
In His Steps
My grandson, Thomas, is just beginning to walk independently. He confidently lets go and cruises the room or the yard until he looses his balance, encounters an obstacle, or realizes his momma or daddy are too far away. He plunks down on his bottom and crawls until he reaches a familiar pair of legs. He …
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 …
Magnify
My youngest strode across the blacktop, chest puffed out, looking like he was about to pop. Before he was even in the car, in a rush of words he explained how he was the only one who already knew how to use the microscopes and how the professor had asked him to help everyone else …
Are Your Ears Itching?
When I was younger, I remember my grandparents asking someone if their ears were burning, meaning that someone, possibly even they, had been talking about them behind their backs. Maybe my papa’s mother had heard someone gossiping about someone else at the mill or maybe a little bird told my grandmother. These commonly used idioms …
Respectfully
Yes sir and yes ma’am are a matter of manners in the south. Yes or no without the sir or ma’am just feels wrong to me. In my fifties, I address people of all ages likewise. One of the most difficult parts of adulting for me was to address someone who was my elder or …
Not What I Want
I experience claustrophobia in moving crowds, more particularly behind moving crowds. When the way ahead is clear, I breathe easier. When my way is blocked by a wall of humanity, even though we are all moving in the same direction, I hold my breath and make a dash for the nearest opening. Shopping malls have …
Lead By Example
I’ve been the mother in the grocery store with the screaming baby, just trying to finish and get home with a shred of dignity, or is it sanity?I’ve since seen mothers in the store with little ones who are past the point of no return and I wonder at the varied responses I see to …
A Fitting Reply 