Reacting to Fear in a Healthy Way
“The light’s green, you retard!” Stunned, I looked up from my computer into the street. A guy in a gold Chevy 4x4 with its windows down revved his engine again while waiting at the green light. Two political flags blazed from
The Snail Shell of the Soul
I heard a thunk and returned to the kitchen. My two eldest daughters stood at the patio door and stared down at a female cardinal outside on its back. Its large, orange beak opened and closed as snow flurries clung
Humans of Tennessee
Three years ago, almost to the day, I purchased two tickets to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, but my husband ended up needing brain surgery instead. I remember being on the phone for hours, trying to get our tickets reimbursed, like
The Story’s in the Growth
This week, I went for my daily walk and saw my husband had pulled a chair over to our creek. It moved me to picture my better half, of almost nine years, sitting there and being still. With my three-month-old
He’s in the Waiting
In June, my husband was due for a scan, but not feeling any urgency, we pushed it off until mid-July. He had an MRI done here in town, and the scans were snail-mailed to his neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic. Then
The Eternity of Daffodils
This week, my five-year-old daughter overheard that two of my in-laws’ puppies died during birth. My daughter is a sensitive soul, and this news greatly disturbed her. But not for the reason you might expect. She wondered if they were going
We Don’t Have a Whole Lot in Common (and That’s Okay)
Our daughters were whining; the back of the van was filled with groceries; a cardboard box was on the floorboard, containing three leftover slices of mushroom pizza. My husband turned on the radio to drown out the noise or to
Hold Me
My daughter treated my husband like a stranger for four days after he returned from the hospital. It was a blessing in disguise, however, because we were concerned how he would be able to recover from brain surgery with a toddler
Until We Feel The Warmth Again
My husband comes outside as I’m trying to put my fitful heart into words. He munches on a piece of dark chocolate, his work boots in hand. “That’s funny." He smiles. "It’s 41 degrees, and you’re sitting out here with a
Time For This
A bald eagle screeched in the distance. A derelict silo broke up the horizon’s striated hues of blue, purple, and pink. My boots sunk into the melted slush covering the dirt road. My four-month-old nestled against me, bundled between my