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 perfectlyContinue reading “Annie”

Mother Mentors: Finding My Do-Over

I’m not sure why the words, Mother Mentors, on the brochure asking for volunteers caught my eye. My daughters were grown. My days of full time mothering were over. But the word “mentors” sidled up next to “mother,” intrigued me. Maybe it was because as a young mother I felt no matter how fast IContinue reading “Mother Mentors: Finding My Do-Over”

Microaggressions at the Market

One day at the market after my shopping cart was full, my daughter and I made our way to the checkout counter.  Our cashier wore a nametag with a name I felt was “not from around here.” In an attempt to be friendly I asked, “What is the origin of your name?”  I caught aContinue reading “Microaggressions at the Market”

Shake, Shake, Shake Your …

  “Shake Dem Halloween Bones” by Mike Reed is a children’s book that combines colorful illustrations of children dressed in fairy tale costumes with a catchy chorus. “Shake, shake, shake dem bones now.  Shake, shake, shake dem bones now.  Shake, shake, shake dem bones at the hip hop Halloween Ball”. We read the book and singContinue reading “Shake, Shake, Shake Your …”

To TV or Not to TV?

I grew up before the internet, video games, cable TV and smart phones had been invented. My childhood electronics included a radio, alarm clock, record player, and television. I learned about the world from news my parents watched or from folded newspapers tossed on our porch in the sleepy hours of the morning. I wouldContinue reading “To TV or Not to TV?”

Snake

A snake knows when to leave its skin behind and does so without fanfare or fuss. Oh, to have the freedom of a snake. Free of guilt and fear. Free of the hamster wheel of thoughts cycling through the endless what-ifs, responsibilities and possible regrets. A snake simply slithers from skin that has become rigidContinue reading “Snake”

What Do You See?

As soon as I walk into the gym I feel as if all eyes are on me saying, “You don’t belong here with your chubby belly and flabby frame.”  Like Harry Potter, I wish to hide beneath an invisibility cloak so I can go about my workout unnoticed. Since these cloaks only exist in magicalContinue reading “What Do You See?”

My Lap

Tonight my daughter crawled into my lap.  I could tell something was bothering her, but I’d learned that prying often led to her withdrawing like a turtle deep into a protective shell where I could not reach her.  But tonight when the house was silent and dark she crawled into my lap. She is nineteenContinue reading “My Lap”

Outsmarting a Preschooler

One might think it would be easy to stay one step ahead of preschoolers.  But don’t let their age fool you.  It can take a lot of work to not be outsmarted by this wily and creative bunch. One morning Silas was having a difficult time keeping his body in his own space during circleContinue reading “Outsmarting a Preschooler”