Category Archives: Writing
And there I was, holding the Virgin Mary
Easter was a weird day. We ate breakfast, and discussed walking to the river, and then spent 8 hours tearing down this giant shed. We salvaged wood. Dismantled metal. Ate some lasagna. Had another helping of chocolate. And then, we had to pick up the… Read more
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Tagged bliss, boundaries, catholic, character, control, Easter, grace, joy, kid, love, mary, memory, mindfulness, power, relationships, safe, savor, self, simple, story, Virgin Mary, women, Writing
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The notorious nearly anniversary
I want my anniversary to be on the 7th of each month. For whatever reason, that’s the way I remember it. Month after month, I celebrate on the 7th, and present a smiling girl with a present or whatever and then she says, “Our anniversary… Read more
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Tagged anniversary, art, atoms, auntie's bookstore, bliss, grief, heart, heartbreak, injury, joy, kid, lesbian, love, mary, memory, mindfulness, power, relationships, safe, savor, self, simple, story, women, Writing
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Skating
She tells me about her son skating to school. “Skateboards were forbidden, and he kept getting in trouble. But that’s how he commuted. He rode his skateboard everywhere. I talked to the principal and we worked it out: he could skateboard to school, go directly… Read more
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Tagged adventure, boundaries, brokenness, character, control, grace, kid, love, memory, mindfulness, power, relationships, safe, savor, simple, story, women, Writing
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The old sidestep
I watched my dog careen in the side yard, cruising around like some blissed out drunk. The sunshine! The water bowl! My girl with a stick! Throw it, throw it, I’m totally going to — and then she slumped over. Remembered she was 13. Tried… Read more
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Tagged boundaries, brokenness, control, dogs, emotional affair, grace, grief, heart, heartbreak, injury, joy, love, memory, mindfulness, power, relationships, safe, self, shame, simple, story, women, Writing
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Competitive
During the interview for Auntie’s Bookstore, I was asked if I consider myself competitive.
“Of course,” I said.
One manager turned to the other and said, “I don’t think I could hire anyone who said no to that question. Who isn’t competitive? They’re either liars or… Read more
In praise of crybabies
I was raised in an authoritarian household. Don’t feel was the number one dictum. I was told what my experience was. I wasn’t allowed to have that experience myself. I learned, extremely early, not to cry. Crying was weakness. Crying meant people could see how… Read more
Dog days
I won’t lie to you. I’m a train wreck. My dog can’t stand if I don’t support her hips. I lift her and carry her outside, hold her, and then lift her to come back in. I lay her down. I can feel her heart… Read more
Adaptive morality
One of my favorite things about humans is our generosity. When we meet people, we allow that they are much like we are. We believe them to be reasonable. To be thoughtful. To be kind. To have aspirations. We believe, in short, that they are… Read more
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Tagged boundaries, brokenness, character, control, grace, heart, heartbreak, injury, joy, lesbian, love, masochism, memory, mindfulness, morality, power, relationships, safe, self, simple, story, women, Writing
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The Great Divorce
A woman told me she wrote eight drafts before she realized she couldn’t contribute to the Marriage Project. “I’m just so angry,” she said. And she meant about the naivete. The fact that we rarely discuss the consequences of marriage rights. The end won’t… Read more
Posted in Marriage Project, Writing
Tagged bliss, boundaries, brokenness, character, control, divorce, grace, grief, heart, heartbreak, injury, joy, kid, lesbian, love, marriage, marriage equality, memory, mindfulness, power, queer, relationships, safe, self, women, Writing
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Weather or no
“I have to tell you something about the weather,” he says, in his instructive voice.
I adjust the rear view mirror. “What’s that?”
“The weather has a lot of tricks. And you don’t get to say what it is. It chooses for itself.”
He is… Read more
Posted in Writing
Tagged adventure, boundaries, chicken little, control, grace, grief, heart, injury, joy, kid, love, memory, mindfulness, mother, no one expects the spanish inquisition, power, relationships, safe, self, simple, story, women, Writing
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