I entered through the sliding glass door to find him standing on the couch. His face was sheer elation. His broad grin exposed his tiny glistening teeth with two wads of chewing gum tucked into his cheeks. He heaved with laughter as he extended his hand to reveal a mostly empty pack of gum… the same gum I had taken from him and put away mere minutes beforehand. His eyes were still red, and his face still held the tracks from the tears he’d shed over the incident. All the stomping and hopping and the drooping of the shoulders and casting back of the head in protest had vanished from his mind. Only joy remained. He stood there victorious. He had his prize.
Monthly archives for September, 2009
Late night with Mr. Mindbender
Last night I discovered that Jaden would rather eat snake guts than fried worms, and that he’d rather sleep in a pasture of cow manure than on an ant hill. I found out that Dillon would rather be trapped on an island than on a mountain top, and that he would rather be bitten by a fire ant than eat fire.
the meaning of Tuesday
It was just after 8:00 that Tuesday morning when I received the call in my office. Kendra was audibly distressed and doing her best to hold it together for the boys. I anticipated the phone call. Ethan was going to be dropped off with my parents for the first time so Kendra could spend the morning volunteering in the classroom. We spoke to Ethan about it the night before as well as that morning. But as much as he smiled and nodded to the news of spending time at Nana and Papa’s house, it was clear he had his own interpretation of what was being said when the time came to say goodbye to momma. To borrow from the Good Book, there was much weeping and gnashing of teeth…and that was just from Kendra. READ MORE »
Out of the night that covers me
I don’t remember any of the sounds from that day…no particular words or conversations…the memories just begin in silence as my mind plays the repeating images of smoke and buildings and planes and ash. Not the peaceful silence associated with contemplation or reflection, but the sudden silence that follows the loud noise that wakes you in the middle of the night. It is thick and ominous. It represents the removal of sound rather than the mere absence of it. It is colored with hate, confusion, sorrow, and uncertainty. Ultimately, the images of destruction from early in the day yield to recollections of acts of selflessness and heroics demonstrated by individuals from all walks of life who responded to a call to help and to fight. In the end, I remember courage. READ MORE »
What’s that up ahead?
It seems like there are events in life that are triggered by the most random catalysts. The impacts are subtle. So much so that in the midst of the event and in the early aftermath you aren’t quite sure what just happened… but you know there is a difference outside of the obvious change that took place. I can always identify them in retrospect, but I am rarely able to see them coming. READ MORE »
