The plane descends from the heavens, and the ground thickens as the clouds pour out their initiation to Spring. Sprigs of purple, pink. Weeping trees bending at the glory of it all. Fruit promised from the blooms we see…if ground doesn’t freeze, sun and rain keep dancing in perfect harmony. And I want fruit. Don’t you? […]
I am from Arlington, Washington. The small city, now on the map due to the landslide here in Oso. And when we think of disaster and travesties, we think about them in other places, not home. For we as people are good at separating, compartmentalizing, dividing our spirits from those things that hurt us. We want […]
We pass him along the gravel road in the middle of Dominican Republic. “He is going to kill me,” he says walking fast in the opposite direction. His eyes fixed. Not darting to look at anyone. But I knew he was talking to us. “I am going to kill him first.” He mutters. Robotic. Long strides […]
“We are all only as great as the least of these among us.” I first see her face; Mocha skin, pony-tails reaching, big cheeks, walking un-supervised around the construction site where we touch shoulders with her people. Passing concrete along, for hours. A few other children gather, but she draws me like a tsunami where I […]
His name was Jerry. Brown hair, strong features, few wrinkles, except those ones earned…from the suffering, few realized. I first met him visiting my Grandma in a nursing home. Her agitated, unappreciative….though I came a long way just to be with her. Weekly. He asked me to open his door. That was our first greeting. Looking […]
It’s true, I am an idealist. Aren’t we all, really? I pass the card section and see snapshots of families and houses decorated, just right. That’s when the lie started to wiggle in. “Supposed to..” tugs within my head. Please tell me, you’ve heard it too? How you have felt the pressure, at this season? How […]