Words rush and flit about like butterflies that would not be caught. Slow down you think too fast. Something hurts but I am the one running now. It’s a dream. I line up at the starting line and a man sneers at anyone who takes 5 hours to run a marathon. Inadequate. No! I run, and Ben runs in front of me, too fast. Slow down son. He won’t. Dimples and grins and laughing, so wild and free and fleet [...]
It was 6 o’clock. Ben sat at the kitchen table in his pajamas. As punishment for throwing rocks and biting another kid, he had spread mulch outside and then received an early bath. I glanced at my husband and said, “I am going for a run. You got the phone? Dr. Myers should call on my cell phone.” My almost bald, still-handsome, barrel-chested man nodded at me and asked, “You told her it’s time? Are you okay?” I shook my [...]
The March wind blew and Ben squealed with delight. “Look, Jim, the petals are running!” Ben’s voice carried at 120 decibels and I gripped Ben’s hand and while the breeze rustled my older son’s wavy, dark blond hair, my throat ached and I worried that my youngest child would scream about the petals for the rest of the morning. So I held his little hand and watched the petals running and part of my brain laughed with Ben; and yet, [...]
This afternoon, I walked away from the lunch table at my son’s school and a woman’s voice followed me. “Is that your son?” I held the back of my hand up. Was it rude of me? I didn’t care. Not one more word. I had heard enough. She had already tried to talk to me and I had ignored her, this Spanish “lunch lady” with the wide cheekbones and the light in her brown eyes. I had already heard about [...]