The Yardstick

My mom used to sew when I was little. I remember her sewing machine, its color, the smell, the sound. I tried a couple of times and can’t say my efforts were a complete failure, but I much preferred sewing small things by hand: scrunchies (it was, after all, the ’80s), maybe a doll dress […]

Emergency Ten.

I just wanted to leave work. Today was my Friday. I’m taking a vacation day tomorrow to be with my mom for an early Thanksgiving celebration at the senior complex where her parents/my grandparents live. And my Friday wasn’t ending soon enough. I left work later than usual — about an hour past my usual time. When […]

Love Letters

Have you ever kept something that had special meaning, filed it away, then come across it years later? I do this a lot. I’ll keep birthday, Easter and Christmas cards, cards from my parents to my cat so that I can look back on them someday and count on a smile coming across my face […]

The Reminder

Have you ever stared at someone because they reminded you of someone you’ve lost? It’s as though the person was there, in the flesh, ready and eager to say the things they didn’t have a chance to say before their passing. I was driving home from work the other day and found myself staring at […]