here’s to the dads and dad-ishes of the world
—
“remember: what dad really wants is a nap.
really.
-dave barry
—
image credit: gary larson the far side
Jun19
Category Archives: family
May8
mothers.
much love to my three daughters, each one now a mother too, on mothers day.
even if i only rarely called you by your right name on the first try.
—
“mothers are not the nameless,
faceless stereotypes
who appear once a year on a greeting card with their virtues set to prose,
but women who have been dealt a hand for life
and play each card one at a time the best way they know how.
no mother is all good or all bad,
all laughing or all serious,
all loving or all angry,
ambivalence rushes through their veins.”
-erma bombeck
Apr26
show or tell?
not my baby brother, but a similar-sized baby with one more hair. —
my brother was born
when i was in my very early elementary years
i was so excited when he was born
he was the newest thing our family after all
i wanted to bring him in to share with my class
during show and tell
i couldn’t believe it when my mom
refused to let me take him on the bus and bring him in
telling me i had to bring a picture of him instead
i was furious
i couldn’t believe it
she was so mean
the nerve of her
i ended up showing his picture
told stories about how he cried and was loud and smelled but was cute
and years later
when i had my own children
i kind of got it.
—
“maybe there’s room for both, telling as well as showing. it’s something to think about.”
― a
― a
Apr10
on siblings day.
returning.
(a repost)
with
one sister visiting
one sister gone too soon
only brother on his way
grandchildren in tow
we visited the place
where we had grown up.
it looked much the same
yet felt somehow not.
much like us.
—
“there is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged
to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”
-nelson mandela
Feb27
living and learning.
love seeing my granddaughters
riding while filled with a gentle spirit and mutual trust
love all the other grandies coming out
to see what they have been working on
love that they each have different things they love to do
karate, basketball, writing, swimming, cooking, reading, fantasy games,
swimming, horseback riding, drawing, helping people, flying, exploring,
floating, small business building, playing, celebrating
yet they all have the same tender spot for animals
while living life and learning.
—
“from horses we may learn not only about the horse itself
but also about animals in general,
indeed about ourselves and about life as a whole.”
-g
Dec16
parenthood.
advice from the kinder to the parents of a classmate’
about how to take care of their new baby.
one so sweet
one filled with adventure
all the others equally from the heart
everyone has their own unique way of approaching parenthood.
“folks, i don’t trust children. they’re here to replace us.”
- stephen colbert
Dec2
hearts to you.
my heart goes out to all children, their families, and their teachers
senselessly lost or hurt this week in a just a moment at a local school.
as a mother, grandmother, teacher, and human
i cannot make sense of it.
—
image credit: wild and precious
Dec2
hearts to you.
my heart goes out to all children, their families, and their teachers
senselessly lost or hurt this week in a just a moment at a local school.
as a mother, grandmother, teacher, and human
i cannot make sense of it.
—
image credit: wild and precious
Nov17
ancestors.
we’ve been friends for over 40 years
at this gathering
following a recent loss
we came to realize
that between the four of us
we have but one surviving birth parent
making us close to all being orphans
we paid tribute
offered gratitude
to those who came before us
with all of their strengths and challenges
for had they not lived
there would be no us
nor our children
nor our grandchildren
nor those yet to come.
—
“the songs of our ancestors are also the songs of our children”
-phillip carr-gomm
Oct19
stuck.
while shopping at target recently
i found myself in a long, slow, self-checkout line
behind a family of three-
a tired after a long day looking mother
a perky tween daughter
and a high-energy young son
who was clearly bored and restless.
needing to create something to do
the young son
somehow found a way to
push his head through the middle of the skeleton wreath
that they were waiting to purchase.
due to the crazy universal law of
‘on is easier than off’
he could not get it
back over his head to take it off again.
first he tried to get it off himself,
then his sister joined in,
when she heard his yelping
mom turned around, sighed, put her things down, and proceeded to help
looking at her wits end
as they patiently worked their way toward the front of the snaking line
continuing to struggle with the skeleton wreath removal project.
when they finally were in the front
mom asked the store clerk if she could scan the wreath while he was still wearing it
and deal with getting it off after they purchased it
she got the go ahead, scanned it on his neck, along with all her other items
and moved out of line.
employees quickly jumped in to help
with one holding his ears flat,
another tilting the wreath in a variety of positions,
his mother putting lotion on his face
moving his head up and down,
and his sister trying to keep him calm.
when they were finally able to free his head from the wreath
he stopped crying
mom quietly pushed her cart out of the store
her son carrying the wreath
his sister holding his hand
looking like they were all more than ready to head home.
—
“there is no panic like the panic when you momentarily feel
when you get your hand or head stuck in something.”
-peter kay
I didn't have my glasses on.... 