We all imagine it. As parents, we fear something happening to our kids, and always there is the sinking, nebulous fear of losing them. We fear it…but we don’t truly imagine it could ever be so. It’s an impossible thought. We love them and pour our hearts and world into them. We pray for them,Continue reading “Unimaginable”
Category Archives: PB&J Blog
77 Days
I counted the start of your life in days. Days and milestones. The days became weeks; the weeks became months. Days, weeks, and months of blue eyes smiling and tiny teeth dotting a gummy grin. First laugh, first word, first step. One year marked a momentous celebration. That you existed in the world felt likeContinue reading “77 Days”
Hornblared
We sat on the floor in front of the refrigerator, little plastic animal magnets spread across its surface. Three-year-old Blondilocks sat on my lap as, one by one, his dad or I pointed to each animal and our boy proudly called its name. Camel! Tiger! Elephant! Rhinoceros! Lion! Hornblared! Snake! Wait…what? The shaggy animal withContinue reading “Hornblared”
The Little Things
The butter dish is broken. It’s part of the set we got when we married, and after all these long years, someone finally dropped and broke the lid, as seems inevitable. And that’s that. The wonders of the online world, though, have directed me to a replacement site, and a new dish of the exactContinue reading “The Little Things”
Super Power
I would fly. When asked what superhero power I would choose, my answer is always flying. Sure, invisibility would be cool, reading people’s thoughts might have its benefits, and laser vision may be a fun party trick. But flying of my own volition anywhere I want to go? Now that’s a super skill I canContinue reading “Super Power”
Space #041
It’s all home now. The last of his belongings, just weeks ago scattered to parts unknown, and now all home again. Some at one friend’s house, some at another’s. Some from his storage unit, finally accessible. Some tucked too deeply into the wreckage of his car to be retrieved, like the single gray and blackContinue reading “Space #041”
The Scar
Someone mentioned a scar last night–a jagged scar on her calf from a childhood run-in with barbed wire. At the mention, a charcoal-tinged, moon-shaped scar on my child’s shin popped instantly into my memory. Running across the patio, he had tripped on a low-lying barbecue, gashing his little leg. We cleaned and bandaged it withContinue reading “The Scar”
With Open Hands
Kenny considers his little hands. He holds up two fingers, One on each side And, smiling, calls out, “Two!” He presses the tips of those two fingers together And with his thumbs makes a diamond. He is fascinated. He stares. “Kenny has made a diamond,” I say. He smiles his What-a-miracle-I-am Smile. I remember myContinue reading “With Open Hands”
Love Them
It’s happened again. Another angry/lonely/sad/abused/disturbed child slaughters his peers. We are heartsick and bereft. We rail. Our leaders offer platitudes and inaction. We argue guns/people/guns/people/guns/people. Fear and strawman arguments keep us from the salient points. Ultimately, we accept inaction. The cycle continues. I can’t take it. I can’t. I will explode with the sheer magnitudeContinue reading “Love Them”
Bah, Humbug
I miss Christmas cards. Okay, the truth is that I receive plenty of holiday greetings in the mail each year. And I appreciate the love and good wishes that come with them. I do. Being remembered and sent a little envelope of love is only a good thing! Right? But here’s the thing. More oftenContinue reading “Bah, Humbug”