Both—on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Both sustenance and fear on Friday night Thunder and lightning accompanied the rain, beating against the windows here at Vanaprastha. I'd prayed for rain to sustain the newly-sprouted and newly-planted vegetation. Prayer answered? Though quite deaf in her old...
Five-minute reflections on the word fast
Fast, as an adjective I am a fast horse, galloping across the field in front of our house, or a bear, loping through woods, or a bird, leaping off the living room sofa into my father’s arms. I want to fly, too, and often do, climbing the highest trees and swaying...
What we mean when we say, “I need.”
“I need to stay in touch with my friends,” my student said tearfully. Maggie [name changed] was a senior in the parochial high school where I taught, a good student, and one of our top STARs—Student Technology Advisers—who assisted at the Help Desk and...
To deny or not to deny the undeniable
I could not deny it. I had gossiped about someone to a friend. Lying in bed that night, I thought about the incident and rationalized: the circumstances, what I said, and to whom probably won’t matter. But continuing to deny the undeniable absolutely would, because...
Pandemic Love for Neighbors as Ourselves
Curly, Cato, and Slick - photographed by "Shirley" “I’m writing about the pandemic and would like your opinion,” I said to my neighbor Shirley [name changed] as we walked. We had three dogs on leash—mine and two from another neighbor who is unable to walk much. ...
Coffee Relationships: Mother, Self, Spouse, Friend
Coffee with mother Every afternoon, after school, Mother makes herself a cup of decaf coffee laced with milk, and my sisters and I pour ourselves Cokes. Then we sit around the dining room table while Mother listens to our woes. I tell her about my...