“Do you smell smoke?” A client said, looking up and nodding their nose at the air. Doing the same, I then looked at them and said, “Yes!” Without thinking, I pushed the chair behind me, took two large strides, twisted the knob, and swung open the door to see a large plume of smoke hangingContinue reading “Smoky Encounters”
Category Archives: Writings
Adventures in Waiting
Have you ever waited for a package at the end of your driveway, right behind a bank of mailboxes, sitting cross-legged atop a clump of damp leaves, feet from the busy highway, with your daughter on your lap? Before today, I hadn’t either. What in the world could be so freaking important that with snowContinue reading “Adventures in Waiting”
Possession Passing
Since it had been handed down to me, and my effort could be better spent than haggling for a few twenties, I gladly passed my hefty cream coffee table with a 20”x20” piece of glass at its center on to a member of our gifting community. I particularly enjoyed reading the ten interested parties’ messagesContinue reading “Possession Passing”
Heart-to-Heart
Well, a two-and-a-half-hour phone call seriously cut into my writing time, which is fine because, without a doubt, that phone call was worth every second. My friend’s experience of friends and family flying to be with her father, who is a ticking time bomb due to a tear in his aorta that is leaking bloodContinue reading “Heart-to-Heart”
Echoes of the End
After deeming surgery on the lining of his aorta too risky, my close friend’s dad was sent home to be with his family and to receive hospice care. He’s likely finished the steak dinner he requested, perhaps sleeping, or maybe savoring the time he has left with his wife and daughter. I’m fascinated by life’sContinue reading “Echoes of the End”
A Bag of Dicks
“Pa Pa,” a little girl holding her grandmother’s hand, turned and pointed, her full moon dark chocolate eyes locked on my daughter Evelyn. Curious, I stopped, trying to decipher the girl’s escalating “Pa Pas.” Leaning down, the grandmother figured it out, “A princess. She thinks she’s a princess.” With a sheer purple dress, the sameContinue reading “A Bag of Dicks”
Snack Strapped
As a counselor, it’s impossible to live up to clients’ expectations. I don’t like disappointing people, but inevitably, I will and do, and learning to tolerate this has been a work in progress. Instead of thinking, “Shoot! I failed them,” I’ve softened my approach to: “How can I help them deal with this disappointment?” RemovingContinue reading “Snack Strapped”
Jaws, Haiyaa!
I am not gung ho to write. “Gung ho,” I think, what in the heck does that even mean? Wikipedia tells me it’s “neither a slogan nor a battle cry, and is merely a Chinese organization.” I go don’t to learn: A Major in the Marine Corps in World War II viewed the Chinese devotingContinue reading “Jaws, Haiyaa!”
The Cherry On Top: A Guest Writer
While reminiscing over dishes on this past weekend, of 15 years of friendship that truly elevates the word to new heights, I received an email. It’s below. Words to my feelings, words to my heart. I’m happy to love and to be loved. Love, Jaclynn My friends, How did I get so lucky? (Hello, unworthiness!)Continue reading “The Cherry On Top: A Guest Writer”
From Buddha to Biscuits
“Do not believe what you have heard. Do not believe in tradition because it has been handed down through many generations. Do not believe in anything that has been spoken of repeatedly. Do not believe it simply because written statements come from some old sage. Do not believe in conjecture. Do not believe in authority,Continue reading “From Buddha to Biscuits”
Going On 40 