“Higher!” I cried. “Hold tight!” Leaning in, my hands grasping his, my dad pushed me up as I balanced my little four-year-old body against his feet. I giggled, and he laughed as he stretched his legs as far as they would go. “I’m flying!” I looked down…
Nothing shakes the foundation of our lives like experiencing pain. I don’t mean the stub-your-toe-and-a-bad-word-might-slip-out kind. I’m talking about the gut-wrenching, life-altering, never-the-same-again, questioning-all-you-know variety. The visit to the doctor. The…
There’s a ratty old hoodie I occasionally think about throwing away. The cuffs are stained with bleach. The sleeves no longer reach my wrist. More than once, a kind soul points out the small stain just right of the zipper. I’m quick to explain its origin…
She looked at me with those big, dark brown eyes. “It was a horrible day.” Tears of frustration flowed as she poured out her disappointment and struggles over something that happened during school. Partway through her tale of woe, the conversation shifted from sharing about a specific circumstance to creating…