I was up late at night writing a letter to my son to be read at his funeral the next day. Our son had been born a few weeks earlier with what we learned was a rare and fatal disorder that took his life at three days old. I had started the letter with aContinue reading “Capital-M Miracles”
Category Archives: Posts
Mothering
You holdthese little soulsin the palmsof your handswhispering to themall that they could beand all that you seefor them in this worldbut these handsthe ones you hold them inyou soon discovercannot closethey cannot wrap tightto protect these little livesinsteadyou are askedto to hold themthese little soulswith open handsexposedand even sowe draw them closeand continue toContinue reading “Mothering”
A Midday Lament
Mommy,she said,holding a bare dandelion stem do you want to know what my wish was?she looked up,white tufts of seed at her feet I know it won’t come truebut I want to wish it anyway I knew what her wish wasthe kind you know can’t come truebut you ask for anyway I wish that ourContinue reading “A Midday Lament”
Questions My Sisters Ask
On the notes in my phoneI keep a running listof the questions my sisters ask methe ones with legsready to take me somewherea place I didn’t know was thereor maybe a place I didn’t want to gothese questions with legsthey’re not sure where we’re going eitherthey don’t have a roadmapor the answers hidden in themContinue reading “Questions My Sisters Ask”
Found Hearts
The ballet teacher askedour kids to find their heart beatShe turned the music offquieted the classand held her hand to her chestLike thisI waitedand thenloud and clearI hear herI found it!She turned to her friend next to herCan you feel it too?Her friend’s face lit upI do!The music turned onand the class returned to dancingtheirContinue reading “Found Hearts”
Self Care is Queen
Take care of yourself! Get away,they say,in their very sing song way.Do something you lovejust for you.Paint your nailsor go for a run.Eat your favorite food,or get your hair done. It’s really up to youto do it all.To tend to your heart,to care for your body,to challenge your brain,to make art.So put a smile onContinue reading “Self Care is Queen”
Marriage in Squares
What kind of marriage do you write about?The one with the windswept hair on a blanket on the beach?Or the one in coordinated color schemes on the front lawn?Or maybe it’s an entirely different kind.Maybe it’s the one broken into pieces?Or the one being gladly left behind?Which one makes the best story?It’s certainly not mine.TheContinue reading “Marriage in Squares”
Motherhood Right Now
Motherhoodfor me right nowis pillow fights on freshly made bedsand toothless grinsLong days that reach into nightand early morningswith hot coffee clutched tightEmotions,running high and spilling all over,Poop jokesand hard questions with missing answersCowboy hatsand tutued dancersPrayerscaught in my throatand tearsgathered in the corner of my eyesLoss,deep and wide,seeping into every momentGain,tight hugs,messy lettered loveContinue reading “Motherhood Right Now”
A First Thanksgiving
It was my first Thanksgiving away from my family. I was living in a tiny Brooklyn apartment with a man I loved and had only known for two years. We had gotten married on August 30th, took our friend’s beat up mini-van up the East coast for a week long honeymoon, made it back inContinue reading “A First Thanksgiving”
Love and Grief
The hospital social worker looked my husband and I in the eyes. Our bloodshot, tired, wet eyes. “You had no control over his death. But you do have control over what else will die with it. Don’t let that be your marriage if you don’t want it to be.” This was our final session together.Continue reading “Love and Grief”
Kathleen Dawson Clancy 