cookies for breakfast

Two of them.

Can you believe

that this is all I can put into words right now. 

Nothing else wants to make sense. 

 

So I'll tell you that I ate cookies for breakfast

and thought about my little angel

who watched me eat them.

"That Guy"

Yes to all the sistas who were there for the story.

Let it be known that "this is the picture that Maddy took".

the other guys

She is overweight and slightly dramatic,

she arrives late to retrieve her daughter regularly.

I have never given her life much thought before,

nobody has. It seems.

Her daughter is immature and behind in her homework.

She would rather color, or stare into space, or chat.

Fine with me, always has been.

But I have never given her life much thought.

They bicker at pickup, the two redheads... with white eyelashes. Stark white.

Never seen anything like it, and I have a red headed sister.

The mother is late, the night is dark, the wind is howling, the roads are ice.

The girl is whiny. The mother is tired.

She opens up to me, just a bit, in her exhaustion.

She dreads going home to the cold apartment across from price chopper.

She has no dinner prepared.

Just "junk food" which they eat too much of, she tells me, since they can walk to the market.

She can't afford this much longer. This school, this home, this life.

She tells me with tears in her eyes. It is hard. Very hard. She is alone with this girl.

This girl who is behind.

She has tried it all. Nothing is working. She is overwhelmed. The girl is loud.

Happy to see her.

The Mom is cold. Hard. Done.

They leave and the Mom hopes the car will make it home.

The girl laughs.

My eyes are finally open.

I will never be the same.

oui.

yes.
yes i did.

she looked like an angel. like you.
she had your nose. your deep brown eyes.
she tilted her head down while talking to us.
she looked strong and healthy.
she looked sure. sure of her decision.
sure of us.
sure of you.
she looked like she loved you.
she looked like she'll always love you.
love us.
she looked ready.

HER

i thought i would be prepared. i knew it would come some day.

i thought it would be a while from now-

i thought i would have time to discuss the answer with

honey.

not the little one, not the hairy one.

the one with whom i discuss all answers.

i didn't think the question would come today.

this morning.

with honey 400 miles away-

the clock screaming that we were late-

me sitting on the (closed) potty waiting to do her hair-

i didn't think it would come as i was hollering to hurry up-

i didn't think i would hear it from the next room

as she was feeding her hamsters.

"mom-

bugsy, i am not going to answer you until you get in here-

but mom, did you see her-

bugs, i told you, i am not coming into see them- we have to go- come on-

but mom- did you see HER??

bugs, get in here. see who?

my birthmother. did you see her?"...

to be continued

Let Your Acquaintances Be Many

First Reading

A reading from the Book of Sirach



Let your acquaintances be many,
but one in a thousand your confidant.

A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth.

A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy.



**** Just cleaning out files and came across a copy of the readings we handed
to all the readers at our wedding ceremony.
(Typed in large font, of course - I was way more detail-oriented back then).



Let your acquaintances be many, but one in a thousand your confidant.


To dusting off old file cabinets!

Thoughts from a lucky student.

Yesterday he asked me if the
box that I work in has a bathroom in it.

When I inquired about "what box"?
he explained, "you know, the small room with four walls that you sit in with your computer..."

And, after further reflection, the space is really best described as a box, though I've never viewed it that way.

Yikes! a box!
(It might be time for a change.)

Yesterday he declared that he knew what he wanted to be when he grew up.
Which, for the record, is a long way off since he is a sprightly 6 years of age.
Either that or he has already grown up cause the kid blasts me from reality with
age-old wise one liners on a nightly basis. In many ways, he is my spiritual guide.

Without further ado from behind the shower curtain,
he declared he would be an author. One day. He'd write great stories because he had
so many great stories to tell.

As my heart flipped and then flopped, I immediately declared to him that
I would faithfully read, and then own, and then cherish each of his books.
Clearly.


I learn so much from him.

I learn so much from him.

These are just two of many Lessons from Him.

Oh what an incredible teacher he is.
Oh what a lucky student I am.