I was in the grocery store checkout line when a woman caught me eyeing her husband. She seemed curious rather than irritated, but I figured I should explain myself. “That hat,” I told her, nodding at her husband. “My dad always wore a hat like that.” Her husband turned around and smiled. “Like this?” he… Continue reading That Hat
Seeking Assistance
“Crap!” I said to the crowd in the doorway, all vibrating on adrenaline. “I just had a question!” They stared back at an astonished middle-aged woman, hands in the air like it was a stickup. I’d meant to cause the opposite of trouble. My great-nephew, born a week prior, had been rushed to Children’s Hospital… Continue reading Seeking Assistance
Two Minutes
Mrs. Sabo pulled me aside when I went up to the front of the room to sharpen my pencil. I thought I was in trouble. I always think I’m in trouble. I’m halfway through my forties, and when the teachers send a note home that they want me to come to a conference I think… Continue reading Two Minutes
By Gum
My niece Keely is in her twenties and has given birth to the cutest baby currently on the planet — do not argue with me about this; you will lose — but that does not mean I do not remember all the things she did when she herself was a child. Because I need to… Continue reading By Gum
Big Things Happ’nin
I may have mentioned, once or twice or sixty times, that I'm a nervous wreck leading up to Levi's annual appointments at the CF clinic. This feels ridiculous, because we almost never get bad news. But it feels significant, like something very bad could happen. And his whole team would be there to tell us about the… Continue reading Big Things Happ’nin