hands

They have her hands. Especially her thumbs. She was ninety years and two generations ahead of them, but they got her genes.  And I notice almost every day. When they grasp their pencil and purse their lips in concentration, I see it.  When they lean their bony elbows...

nothing

It comes. The crisis. That awkward situation that can’t be undone. The wrapping up of a chapter, tightly twirled into a neat and perfect chrysalis, and we wait with dripping impatience for the birth of the new. And we scramble. We turn left and right, to...

break

It’s Five-Minute Friday, but founder and long-time host, Lisa-Jo Baker, is taking a well-deserved cyber-sabbatical this week. A few of us die-hard, FMF junkies decided to hijack the tradition and detour over to Trending Mama’s place for a link-up this week...

the definition of a friend

They are the ones who show up on moving day, scrubbing toilets in the dingy rental that doesn’t even belong to them. They are the ones who say they will pray … and actually do. The ones who bring you food when you break your foot and when you have a cold...

paint

We semi-circle the supplies around us at the table — newspaper, paper towel, the empty, rinsed out salsa jar filled with clean water.  Brushes, white paper. We are going to paint. And they start out doing their own thing, and then their eyes wander over to my...

they are the writers

They lower the ropes deep, deep into the well until they hear the ripples on the surface, and they dip their bucket until it’s fully submerged, and then they pull.  They heave, hand over hand, raising the heavy-laden vessel, to the brim and overflowing, until it...