whump-whump-whump-whump The helicopter overhead was distant--the propeller's thumps a low murmur seeping into my mind, stirring up dread, thick and suffocating. I stood inside my grandmother's old house and gazed at the peeling yellowed paint on the walls and the layers upon layers of dusty photographs covering every inch. In one black and white photo, a young pig-tailed girl's face beamed, sitting on her father's knee, her face forever frozen …
Category: reflections
Our Unbreakable Bond
The cemetery was full of swaying trees and bright sunlight; the dancing rays sparkling within the reds and golds of the leaves. Gazing at the rows of gray stones, I felt a gentle stirring of peace blossoming from within, spreading around me with its warm embrace. I stood alone on a grassy hill and listened to the …
The Writers Must Be Crazy
I stare at the blank page. Agonizing minutes tick by--still nothing. I glare at the blank page. It glares back, taunting me to dare try and fill it with my words. I try. My brain scrambles to make some connections. I have all the thoughts necessary, swirling about in my mind, but I can't put them …
The Footsteps on the Stairs
Each night, the footsteps were the same; deliberate and heavy. The sound would slice into my hazy dreams, and I'd drift helplessly back into the world. My eyes would start to focus, gradually taking in the shadows lurking in my room. In the corner, my dresser would morph into a dark shape of some menacing, faceless monster, crouched and ready to pounce. …
Always Remember This Thing Called Love
The night before my son's recent ninth birthday, he sat down on the couch next to me, heaved a sigh and said, "Tomorrow, I become a man." I wiped away a tear, giving him a brief hug before he squirmed away in horror and ran off. He was right--he was becoming a young man right before my …
Baby Talk
Whenever someone tells me how many kids they have, I usually respond with, "Well, I only have two and believe me, that's all I need. I am happy with the two." One of my friends has seven kids. In this day and age, she may as well be telling people she owns a White Bengal tiger. She is …
Miracles and gratitude and joy–Oh my!
This week I am honored to be a guest blogger over at Deborah's The Monster in Your Closet. I first visited her blog and read the post, Six hands for lifting: on my mom, mental illness, fear & hope and was moved by the honesty, courage and grace of her words. She has started a new guest post …
Radiance at Last
Over at Absurd Old Bird, Val Erde has challenged readers to create something using her painting below as inspiration. Here is mine. Radiance Churning mud strips flesh and bone Pulls down Earthly trappings take hold But oh! Gradual clearing the Lightness is Here always Touches and soothes emanates from every pore As colors shine and …
The Thread
I am running through a deep jungle. Bright blurry shades of green mix with sharpdaggers of sunlight as I frantically leap to dodge the twisted roots in my path. Fear grips my heart, soaking into my bones and saturating my vision until the jungle transforms into a jumble of shifting shadows. I glance behind me into the thickening dark, not yet willing to …
Struggling to Breathe
Hurtling through space, high above the earth, I felt like the tiniest speck of a pebble floating in a powerful, cold and heartless river. Aimless. Helpless. Lost in the water’s mighty force and silently drowning. I peered out the tiny window to see the twinkling lights of the city below; soothing, somehow comforting. I felt …
