It’s been a year since Dad died. A year since the excruciating day we said our goodbyes. November 13. It seems like yesterday and a decade ago all at the same time. Funny how time warps itself when traumatic situations occur. I am somewhere in the folded pages of that time trying to find my … Continue reading The Sparrow
nature
Real Fall
Golden light filtered through my window creating a morning altar…the whole room alight with silent comfort. I rise and follow the light to my back porch, watching it rise and cover the valley. Filtering between the trees, waking the birds and their songs, even the tree frogs acknowledge the light. No creature is immune from … Continue reading Real Fall
National Treasures
It is no secret I am a nature lover. I feel connected to the trees. The birds are the soundtrack of my life. The babbling waters of creeks and rivers my companions. When a tree is cut down I feel it in my bones. I know it has to happen sometimes, but it hurts me. … Continue reading National Treasures
Memorial Day
I am struggling. There I said it. Seeing it on the page in black and white helps me define my last few weeks. It’s been almost 6 months since Dad passed, but for some reason I have had a wave of emotion that feels fresh and new. Painful again. I am aware that grief doesn’t … Continue reading Memorial Day
My Feet Know the Way
On the first step onto the trail, my feet found their place. Each step forward they seemed to carry me of their own accord. They were joyful to be back in the woods. Ecstatic to feel the dirt of the path. I have been avoiding the trails as of late. Not even aware I was … Continue reading My Feet Know the Way
The Small Things
I slide out of my bed and pull on my yellow shorts and striped yellow and white tank top. My bare feet pad quietly out of the bedroom. He sits on the porch. Watching the waves roll in. Never a coffee drinker, his hands instead caress his camera. Dad. Taking in the sunrise with his … Continue reading The Small Things
The Storm
The rain on my rooftop stills my heart. The thunder rolls around and through the valley, reminding me that storms are mobile. They do not stay forever. The deluge pounds the shelter over my head. It rolls down outside my window like a waterfall, creating a familiar hiss. The lightning and thunder are having a … Continue reading The Storm
Hole in My Soul
I lost my voice. No talking for several days, shouting to create a whisper. Just as well. I haven’t had much to say lately. No words, at least. Lots of feelings. None that I can really describe. Turns out, a week or so of silence is just what I needed. There is no pressure to … Continue reading Hole in My Soul
Hi Dad
Hi Dad, It’s been a week since we said goodbye. It is still surreal. I think some parts of my heart still don’t really believe it, but then I start to text or call, and the sting comes flooding back into my eyes. It’s true. The nightmare really happened. Now, time is playing tricks on … Continue reading Hi Dad
Thoughts from a Daddy’s Girl
I was never a “typical” girl. Of course now we know, none of us were. Girls are all complex individuals with differing personalities and interests, but before we were allowed to explore those we were trained to fit into a “typical” girl mold. I did not. I was what you call a Tom-boy. Meaning, I … Continue reading Thoughts from a Daddy’s Girl
Michelle's Mosaic 