My neighbor has cancer And while I am being awakened to a brand new day by a son that is too loud too dependent too much sometimes she is being awakened by the pain that wracks her body the fears that course through her veins the thought that mornings like these may be numbered and…
My Neighbor Has Cancer
The Day I Saw A Boy Almost Drown
I have tried, for several summers now, to teach Andrew how to swim. We have signed up for adaptive lessons. We have attempted to teach him the basics on our own. We’ve prompted him to paddle, coaxed him to kick, yet, despite his love of the water, his body and brain refused to cooperate and…
His First Love
“The best sport in the whole world is baseball. It’s my second best thing to do in the whole world. I love the white ball with red stitches. I love the smell of fresh grass and the taste of blue Gatorade. I can hear the people cheering and I love the feel of my…
A Granddaughter’s Privilege
She is sitting in her rocking chair, in the corner of her room. Are you ready? I ask her She looks up at me, beneath heavy lids, and nods her head. I walk towards her, help her up, hand her her cane. She wants to walk hand in hand down the hallway, and so we…
Dammit, Josefina!
When my grandmother had her stroke the very first day of 2008, we knew we would need additional help caring for her once she came home from the rehabilitation center, especially in the beginning, before we knew just how affected she was going to be. My mom took to her circle of friends and began…
And Then, He Did Nothing. Perfectly.
It’s no secret around these parts that I’m crazy about my boys. My mom often rolls her eyes when she sees me smothering them with unabashed love and affection. She thinks I’m spoiling them. I think she’s right, and I love every single one of these sappy, eye-roll-worthy exchanges. I often tell Ian (and Andrew)…
On Darkness and Dread
I try to enjoy it, but I can’t. The boys are asleep, and so is my husband, and while I should be reveling in the silence, I feel instead like climbing out of my skin. These quiet evenings, the ones that have me staying up past everyone else’s bedtime, bring anxiety and a sense of…