Relationships
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The Invincibility of Our Youth
I’m an adviser for our middle school yearbook this year. Naturally, I dragged out my old (I’m talking 1987 – old!) high school yearbook for ideas. You know how you were supposed to be in bed an hour ago and convince yourself that you just want to check your Instagram feed real quick before turning the lights out? Somehow, you end up doing a Google search on conspiracy theories and browsing Pinterest for potluck recipes? Two hours later… That was me with my yearbook propped on my lap that night before bed. I reminisced over old homecoming rally photos and cringed at all the ‘80s hairstyles. I was curious about…
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The Significance of Scars
“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” (Kahlil Gibran) The speaker told the story of a mother that held her young daughter in her arms as they talked. The mother’s face was horribly scarred from burns she had suffered in a house fire several years ago. The little girl hesitantly reached up to touch her mother’s face and spoke sadly, “Mommy, the kids at school make fun of you behind my back. I hear them whisper that you look like a monster. I am embarrassed when you come to my school. Why don’t you look like other mommies?” The story went…
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Grocery Shopping With Andy
The grocery shopping scenario rarely varies. It takes us three minutes just to get past the entryway of the store because I do a wheel check on the numerous handicap carts to find one that doesn’t squeak, wobble, or veer off to the left when I let go of the handle. Then, my husband, Andy, insists we sterilize the handle with one of those free wipes on display by the doors. Ok, I think we’re ready to go. I am the official “keeper of the list”. I pluck the list out of my purse and snap it open like a soldier reading orders for his next assignment. Andy, Mr. No-Nonsense,…
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What Makes Up a Tribe?
“Dude, you smacked me right in the face!”, Brandon bellows at Austin as they mimicked dancing to banjo and fiddle music all over the living room. Arms were flailing in the air and legs were kicking dangerously near the heads of those seated nearby. In between hysterical laughter, I twinged inside – waiting for a lamp or someone’s limb to break. Naturally, we continued to cheer them on and the two of them didn’t disappoint their audience. That’s when Austin’s free-swinging, happy arm backhanded Brandon right in the face. We tried to act concerned – honest – but it was too stinkin’ funny not to give in to hysterics. By…