If We Had a Mile
On the walk to school, a normally shy and withdrawn little girl comes to my side. “Guess what?” she asks, her eyes huge. She watches me with her mittens folded together and her boots kicking the ice. “What? Tell me everything,” I respond (because I have a whole mile to listen and nothing to do […]
A Broken Umbrella
I’m sloshing through this rainy Tuesday in my yellow boots. I carry an enormous blue and white umbrella–big enough to cover at least 5 people. One side of my umbrella dangles awkwardly, broken from years of abuse from high winds. I look on with envy at folks who have very small, tightly domed umbrellas that […]
You’ve Got to See This
My neighbor has a gift. She’s an artist, but nobody really knows–at least we didn’t–until she began to show us all. Her drawings make me so happy. They evoke something in me that the real object doesn’t. I realize I’m just looking at a drawing of a little girl’s shoes, but something about this artwork […]
Go and Find a Contra Dance
Last night, I attend my first contra dance. My own husband has invited the family (including my parents!) out dancing. Contra dance, otherwise known as patterned folk dancing, has great potential to create a fool out of me. You know how uncoordinated I am. I resist going until the very last minute. But I know […]
One Little Cane, Passed On
This morning, a neighbor comes by with a shovel to uproot several of my raspberry canes to plant in his own garden. I want to offer a bit of what was originally given to me. Two years ago, I was that neighbor taking raspberry canes from another garden down the street. That neighbor was so […]
It’s Not Just About Us
My oldest wants to learn flute, and she nods her head and glances at me when the director says, “When you practice your instrument, it’s not just about you. It’s about your community of musicians. You don’t just let yourself down when you don’t practice. You let down the whole orchestra.” He’s talking about citizenship. […]
Little Cupcake Grills!
My new neighbor calls me over to come see the birthday cupcakes she’s made for her husband. I start laughing out loud when I see them. She and her children have made little grills with kabobs, steaks, hotdogs, and even hamburgers with cheese on top–all made out of candy. If you look closely, you’ll even […]
Verb of the Week
This morning, I talk to a student about the verb “rehabilitate.” It means to restore to normal, to recover, to reestablish good working order. In terms of physical therapy, this verb represents hope. Physical therapists know that rehabilitation happens in the context of a whole network of support: individual, family, and community. You aren’t alone […]
What Do You Need?
Today marks the 4th day of staying in a small apartment in a new city all day long whilst caring for a child who has a 103.5 degree fever. I’m not even going to bother making that sentence more concise. It’s been a long few days. It’s lonely. It’s awful. My husband attempts […]
Becoming a People Gatherer
Lately, my community has been reflecting on how we came together. We’ve been in the news twice because others folks take notice of this strange phenomenon. In the last few years, we learned the art of gathering. To gather means to cause to come together. We figure out a reason to come together, and each […]