New life blooms in my belly. When I panic and worry the life is gone, pretty soon I feel the child moving again. The one thing in the world I am most curious about right now is what the baby looks like. Like me or like Ivan? Other questions soon follow. Will our child be
A Baby, Spring Things, and A Question for You Read More »
Going through some of my essays from the past, I found the one below that I once wrote about Char. I took the original subtitle of my book from this prose-poem. I called the book Turtle Heart: The Story of a Lonely Old Indian Woman and a Shy Little Mennonite Girl. Eventually I changed the
That Is Why I Love You, You Lonely Old Indian Woman Read More »
I remember the moment Charlene told me she was bisexual (because that was easier than telling me she was lesbian, she said later.) Before Charlene, I had never been friends with a non-straight person. Learning her sexuality opened a world of questions in my mind. Is homosexuality wrong? If so, how is that fair when
Is Homosexuality an Identity? Read More »
Charlene was in her early seventies when I knew her. While her quick wit and black hair made her seem young, her frailty and poor health made her seem very old. Her world had narrowed to a small house, a small yard, and tottering steps to doctor appointments and the grocery store. I never realized,
Loving Our Aging Friends Well Read More »
I hated that Charlene smoked. I viewed her cigarettes as a personal enemy—a fiendish dictator who stole her freedom and her health. Some of the few harsh words I spoke to her were about her smoking addiction. The only time I refused to help her was when she asked me to buy her a pack
Helping a Friend Overcome Addiction Read More »