Yesterday marked one month since my stepsister’s passing. In the course of the day, I had yet another opportunity to thank the dear friend who was the first person to come through my door to offer condolences to me when she heard the news. At the time, she didn’t even know the details of the…
Day 10 – The Smith Wrinkle
“Do you have the Smith wrinkle?” my distant cousin asks me over breakfast with a small group of family members, reunited in a Denny’s in Vancouver, WA in July. “Umm…I’m sorry?” I say. This lady is my dad’s first cousin, but because I’ve spent my life on the East Coast, I’ve only ‘met’ her a…
Day 9 – The Rock
Less than 20 miles from my home, developers have discovered a historic altar. It is a rock. A moss-covered boulder actually, with a large, simple cross carved into one side. Archeologists believe this artifact marks the spot of “bush meetings” – worship services held secretly in the woods by slaves and free blacks in the…
Day 8 – My Niece and Nephew
I’m sitting in car line again and all’s quiet…..so I decide to look at Facebook for the first time in a couple days. And surprise! Just posted! My brother-in-law and sister-in-law welcomed their first child into the world less than two hours ago – a gorgeous baby girl. I’m sure we’ll talk to the proud…
Day 7 – How to Spend a Day
Practically speaking, I spend less time on Wednesdays puttering around town transporting kids from one activity to another than any other day of the week, but that just means I spend more time dreaming up an extended list of ‘to-dos’ I can check off at home. And today, I created that agenda in a frenzy…
Day 6 – God Winks at Sam’s Club
It almost goes without saying that when you lose someone, you are more sympathetic to other people’s losses as well. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have your eyes open to actually see the needs of others. At least, I wouldn’t think so – and not while shopping at Sam’s Club of all places. There,…
Day 5 – Car Line
I’m sitting in car line waiting to pick up my kids, curious to know what they’ll tell me about their day (because, thankfully, they still do that, often without any encouragement from me). What emotions did they feel during their 8 hours away from me? What are their impressions of the day? Concerns? Comical memories?…