TRIGGER WARNING: Physical and sexual abuse, themes of dominance and control It’s been two months since my mother died. Almost two months since I drove to Iowa and stood at her graveside in a small cemetery on a hill overlooking empty winter fields, listening to a kindly rented pastor eulogize my mother’s life, mispronounce her […]
Maternal instinct.
My house is quiet this morning as I sit at the table, contemplating the early sky through the window. Gentle tendrils of steam escape from my mug of coffee, the ceramic feeling reassuringly warm in my hands. Normally I’d be sitting outside on my deck, but this morning is still cool and the deck, unwelcoming. […]
In memoriam.
My grandmother passed away this morning. I’m still processing the news, but I can tell you she was a treasure and a comfort to me, and I am thankful to have had her in my life. It is bittersweet to have lost her just before Thanksgiving, a time when we traditionally give thanks for all […]
Little girl lost.
My grandmother is dying. As she lays unresponsive in an Iowa hospital, I’m keenly aware of the impending loss. I have many memories of this woman who took the time to pay attention to a child used to being on her own. In an only child’s world of adults, my grandmother let me know it […]
