Writing Words – Bridge

TERESA’S THOUGHTS: Instead of sharing about the book writing process, I want to share why I am writing this book at all.  A book which is an autopsy of my own racism.  Where I learned it.  How I stayed blind to it.  And where I might go from here. This dissection is painful and messy…

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Writing Words – Schedules and Social Distancing

TERESA’S THOUGHTS:   I live in Washington state which apparently is the epicenter of the Coronavirus outbreak in the United States.  I have gone from believing I could carry on life as usual, to hunkering down at home for the foreseeable future. The common threat of this virus makes our world seems smaller and more intimate…

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Writing Words – Writing With Others

TERESA’S THOUGHTS:   On Monday I attended a writing group which meets in a conference room at our local library. This is not a critique group where writers share their work in progress.  Instead, this group meets to write. Most bring laptops we plug into a shared outlet at the center of the room. A few…

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Writing Words – Steps

 TERESA’S THOUGHTS:   Writing is a series of steps. The first step is getting the idea from my brain onto my laptop. My brain can’t be too tired or distracted. Often my fingers are unable to type fast enough for the floodgate of words spilling out. It feels like my brain is vomiting. My only goal…

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Writing Words – Annie

TERESA’S THOUGHTS:    Annie is the dog I thought I would never have. It seemed disloyal to love again after losing my sweet boy, Chocolate.  Time softened my heartache and eventually Annie and I found our way to each other. Annie is not a perfect dog but she is perfectly mine and I am perfectly…

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Writing Words – The Gift of Time

TERESA’S THOUGHTS: After years of feeling the pull to write more, I have finally rearranged my life in such a way to devote more hours to writing. This rearranging involved downsizing and rebelling against consumerism which demands I spend money to keep up and impress others. Oprah Winfrey starts her podcast, “Super Soul Conversations,” with…

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Agates

I hope I get her agates when she dies.  Maybe not her entire collection, for I don’t want to appear greedy.  Even one amber agate to soften the excruciating loss of her.  I imagine cradling it.   Letting the essence of her wash over me.  She would laugh, “There is no agate door to me once…

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Sea Glass

Let me be like sea glass Shattered free from what once made me whole Let me be broken open without fear and fuss Adrift from all I once called mine. Trusting the ancient buoyancy of salt water Surrendering to waves and rocks grinding at my edges Let me lie hidden until serenely polished To keep…

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Death Over Peppermint Tea

What would I be bold enough to tell death if I invited him to join me for a chat over a cup of warm peppermint tea?

Mother Mentors: Finding My Do-Over

“Perhaps part of me wished for a do-over; a second chance to reach that elusive balance between caring for my daughters and self care. Perhaps I wanted to know I wasn’t alone in my struggles.”

They Don’t Need Valentine’s Day

Years ago my husband and I were quite poor in money but abundantly rich in dreams, hope and love. That year we exchanged simple boxes of Cracker Jacks for Valentine’s Day. Of all the Valentine’s Days that have come and gone since then, it is the one I remember most fondly.

Microaggressions at the Market

Some may say, “Don’t worry about it. You were merely being friendly.” But the truth is I felt the need to protect him with my whiteness. It is uncomfortable to accept the harm my whiteness has done. I want to shirk my guilt by saying I shouldn’t be blamed for something I didn’t ask for. I mean really the tentacles of systemic racism were here long before I was born. I didn’t ask for the entitlements I’ve benefited from and I certainly haven’t been racist. Have I?