We have a new guru in our house, and his name is Shaun T. Shaun T. eats whole-wheat bread with lots of seeds. He advocates one fruit smoothie every day. He knows that protein at breakfast is a must. Lately, he’s on a yoga kick: he’s been telling everyone they should do yoga at least…
Bad news I knew He didn’t Dr’s recommendation Two words No contact Concussion risk It means No football He’s done He hears Dream destroyed He hears Life over To me Thin dream Thinking small To him The world His future Fame, fortune Making it Being somebody Now quiet So quiet Too quiet No words For…
“My friends absolutely love you,” my son tells me. I raise my eyebrows in a question. “Yeah, I’ve told them whenever I get in trouble, you make me a root beer float.” It takes me awhile to stop laughing. “Do they believe you?” I finally ask. He snorts. “Of course they do! They’ve met you!”…
Some days it seems like we just finished breakfast and already it’s time to think about lunch. And just after lunch, there’s dinner to figure out. How can human beings have to eat so often? I love food, love to eat, often love to cook and bake as well, but there is a part of…
My son cringes when he looks at me. “You’re going to die!” he says. “You’re dying right now!” As with so many of his pronouncements, this one comes out of the blue, no context to ground me or clue me in on how best to respond. Philosophically? Why yes, we’re all dying. Every minute we…
I make the drive to Rapid City once or twice a week. Usually I’m on my way to an appointment–here are therapists, doctors, tutors, hairstylists–or I’m running errands–here’s the Walmart, the Safeway, the library, the UPS store. But today’s trip is just for me. I’m driving 120 miles round-trip to get a cup of coffee,…
By now, I know he’s going to be okay but I’m still running because he expects me to be the kind of mom who runs from the car to the emergency room. He can’t see me, but my husband is watching out the door and narrating my movements, so I run. He is stretched out…
My son has a concussion. He was knocked out for over a minute after an attempt to leap over a badminton net ended in a head-plant onto the gym floor. He’ll be puny for awhile, the E.R. doctor promises me—and for a moment I imagine what puny might look like. If he could just be…
Top Ten Tuesday is a book meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish. Today’s topic represents a bit of a challenge for me, because developing new syllabi is part of my job. I teach Children’s Lit, Adolescent Lit, Contemporary Lit, British Lit, Graphic Novels, Composition, as well as a host of other courses. When I…
I’ve had this idea for a slice I want to write about mornings. I’ve started it a few times now. It’s supposed to be an easy piece that captures my favorite moment of the day. Brief. Sweet. The words need to skip across the page. Float. I see the piece like a butterfly, fluttering, airy,…
