As I watched my daughter’s tiny face inspect the mysterious box, I was overcome with the memories of Christmases past. How could an intangible recollection hold such a physical presence, wrapping me in a warm glow while simultaneously strangling me in an icy dread, especially on Christmas morning? Christmas morning. It wasn’t like any Christmas…
I may as well have been standing before them stripped naked. That’s how exposed I felt. The soldiers had announced their arrival with a loud pounding on the front door of our home. A few days prior, my husband and I had begun the official paperwork requesting permission to leave the only country we had…
The darkness was all around me. I had been trained to stay in my room and wait for my mom to come to me. It never took my mom long, but to me it always felt like an eternity. The blackouts had begun a few weeks ago, but I still wasn’t used to them. At…
Photo credit: cibercuba.com It was just a matter of time. She could feel it in her bones. The rumors had been swirling for months, and while she didn’t want to believe them, in her heart she knew. As she shifted items on the grocery store shelves, in an effort to make them a little fuller,…
America is Freedom. Freedom is America. Freedom has been America’s guiding light for those who have come before us. Now, it must shine brighter than ever for those who are yet to come. Freedom requires strength. It requires boldness. Freedom requires sacrifice, and it requires grace because it is often in grace that we find…
Shortly after I heard the screen door slam and my mother crank up the station wagon, I went back to exploring the house. I walked the halls, my mind in tune with each creaky step of the wooden floorboards. Running my hands gently over the walls, the banister, I let my thoughts wander to…
I landed with a thud. Sliding down the old wooden banister to the first floor was exhilarating. Having only seen that in movies, I was impressed I was able to pull it off. “Eden, I need to make a run into town and meet with the funeral director. I’ll be back in about an hour.…
“It is only in the world of objects that we have time and space,” T. S. Eliot Every object holds a value. Whether the value is monetary or sentimental, a material possession is something we can’t take with us when we die. The rational part of our brain knows this and accepts it. The other…
Courage looks different depending on where you’re standing. Sometimes you’re the one in need of a little bravery to take the next step. Other times, you’re standing on the outside looking in, wishing you could magically transfer just enough courage to support someone who needs a boost. What does courage actually look like? When my…
LITTLE MISS WORDY 