It was a strawberry Fruit Loop. So innocently offered was this unassuming lure; all chunky and lopsided with sugar crystals disproportionately spread around the pale red morsel. I looked it over and glanced at the owner of the extended hand that held the treat. Two sad blue eyes behind tousled locks, and her eyebrows knitted in a frown from her frustrated chase. “I can’t catch her. Can you help us?” The girl and her sister had been chasing the little stray dog that had been roaming the park when we arrived. They had no success despite their tireless attempts, so Kendra volunteered my services in helping them capture the pup. The girls were very concerned that the dog would run into some type of harm or another, so they eagerly sought my support. Harmless enough, I thought. Use the cereal to attract the dog, or at least give it an honest effort and then get back to watching the boys climb on the park equipment. I reached out and grabbed the Fruit Loop… and little did I realize, I had sprung the trap.
Posts tagged Logan
Now
Right now I am watching a mother play with her little girl. I am on a plane flying someplace I’ve already been and leaving behind the people with whom I’d rather be. Right now. The little girl is tired. She has been drinking her bottle in spurts. She alternates with a soggy wafer. Her first bites of solid food. She is restless, but she has smiles for everyone around her. Mom wipes away the soggy crumbs from baby’s chubby pink cheeks. They are enjoying the opportunity to play. Right now.
Face time with the C.E.O. (the list continues)
No, I have not been hiding away in a treatment facility trying to heal and recover from an undisclosed condition. The past several weeks have just been beyond hectic. We had a few personal transitions to navigate; work has been chaotic with increasing travel; I’m training for a 26 mile mountain bike event (which I’m still not certain I’ll survive); and I’ve embarked on the biggest writing endeavor of my life. I mentioned in the little things that “time” was a blessing and something I counted myself grateful for having. Well, time had turned into my enemy. It grabbed me by the shirt collar and pulled me into a back alley for a private conversation. Fortunately, I was able to gain some control, and have once again emerged with a little more time on my hands. In order to make the most of my new-found schedule flexibility, I took the opportunity to hang out with a few movers and shakers that I know. These guys are difference makers, and I end up learning something new every time I hang out with them. They are sharp, innovative, creative, and have been extremely influential in my life. It’s great to have this kind of insider access to them… the Dye family C.E.O. – Chief Executive Offspring. READ MORE »
I understand.
I was on the freeway when I received the call. I was about three quarters of the way through my morning commute, and in the middle of a teleconference. I couldn’t tell who it was…the caller ID displayed my office phone, which had forwarded the call. I almost ignored it and sent it to voice mail, but I just had that feeling. I knew I had to answer the phone. I could feel my body tense up as I pressed the answer key. I said hello… the caller identified herself, and began to state the nature of her call. She said my son’s name… I am not certain I breathed again for the next 10 minutes. My head was in a fog… I felt physical pain, like I’d been trampled and kicked by horses. I vacillated between rage and despair; consumed by fear for the future of our child. I somehow managed to conduct the conversation and navigate across several lanes of traffic towards an offramp while I slowly felt slip the grip I thought I held on my world and my reality. Bleary-eyed and shaken, I turned the car around and headed towards home. READ MORE »
So…
I can remember moments in my childhood when I was doing some bizarre thing or another and I would happen to catch my parents watching me. They wouldn’t say anything; maybe chuckle or smile. I’d ask “what?” but they’d never reply. They would just have that look. I now understand that thoughtful gaze. I look at my boys the same way sometimes and I just think, “Wow… What lies ahead?” I wonder what paths they will choose…who they will become… what kind of lives they will lead… but most often, I wonder what fire will burn deep inside of them. What will be the thing that drives them? What will be their great passions in life?… Will they pursue them?
