She came into the world with eyes wide open. They put her up on me and instantly I was overwhelmed, in part because I was just a girl myself but there was more to it than that. There was weight in the realization that indeed she was an entity all her own. After those long… Continue reading Message in a bottle
Category: Torri
Five generations strong
Every once in awhile a something comes across on my Facebook that makes me cringe: a post or a share or a dramatic declaration that oozes feminism. To be clear, I should say that I don’t believe feminism to be a bad thing, strictly speaking. Different but equal, if you will. Modern society, though, has… Continue reading Five generations strong
There came life
Right now, life in transition roars like static in my ears. It rushes in blurred streaks like cars on the freeway. It is neither here nor there but clustered in tight bunches, dotted across the map. Within upheaval there is the risk of certain memories fading and so I’m pressing an inconceivable pause button long… Continue reading There came life
A prayer for my daughter
First, Lord: divine patience. These last days bring an achy back and little feet between ribs and a tendency to wish away the hours. Give her patience. And faith in your timing. May she be Courageous but Tender enough to be moved by the miracle within her for it’s the courage that will carry her… Continue reading A prayer for my daughter
Open letter to my daughter, the mother-to-be
This being the week leading up to Mother’s Day, I decided to spend it focusing on the mothers in my life. I only have one that I call my own, but there are several other mothers who matter to me. Today’s letter is to my daughter, as she prepares to give birth to her first… Continue reading Open letter to my daughter, the mother-to-be
Neverland themed baby shower
My daughter, Torri, loves Disney’s Peter Pan movie, and all things related to it. Her favorite ride at Disney World has always been (and I suspect will always be) Peter Pan’s Flight. When she was just a pixie of a girl, she dressed as Tink for Halloween one year. And then, when she was a… Continue reading Neverland themed baby shower
High risk
When I was sixteen and pregnant they said I was high risk. My age, I guess. And then there was the fact that I didn’t put on as much weight as they would have liked. It led to frequent ultrasounds and appointments during which they’d hook monitors up to my belly and inspect the printout… Continue reading High risk
What “I’m not your friend; I’m your mom” really means
I don’t remember if she ever said the actual words to me (though I suspect she did) but I grew up knowing full well that my mom was not my friend. I had friends whose moms were their friends–and I was always jealous. They would share late night talks and gossip and secrets–sometimes from… Continue reading What “I’m not your friend; I’m your mom” really means
Roots and wings
It’s been over a month since with one ticket round-trip and and the other one-way I got on a plane with her and we flew to Florida. We shopped and we ate ice cream. We bought toilet paper and sponges for her first apartment. And then I stood outside on a curb and while I… Continue reading Roots and wings
Dream catch her
Sometimes, I think my weeks are themed. Like sometimes the theme is ‘clumsy’ and other times the theme is ‘karma’. This week, it’s clearly all about a dream. Not just mine–though, there is that too. Yesterday a box arrived and as soon as I saw it there was a catch in my breath–an urgency to… Continue reading Dream catch her
At His feet
Nineteen. Skin grew tight–walls closed in. She stepped up to the edge and fluttered her wings. Watching from the nest, all I could see was the fall. I laid it at His feet. Young love like rushing water. I laid it at His feet. A midnight text. Shattered glass and screeching tires. Metal peeled and… Continue reading At His feet
Coming unfolded
In the wee hours of last Saturday morning I woke up and clicked the home button of my phone on the nightstand to check the time. In so doing, I not only learned that it was two something in the morning, but also that my adult daughter had been in a car accident. It happened… Continue reading Coming unfolded