For her, this chance was her last gasp, her last fragment of hope to be healed and restored from the wasting sickness that had aged her, made her pale, given her dark circles under her eyes, stolen her strength, stolen her energy, stolen her hope. But would she dare? The oppression her culture imposed upon her because of her condition made everything harder. She had tried to find help, wasted all her resources on “cures” that didn’t. Everywhere she went she had to call out, “I am unclean!  Step aside or be… Read More

The wave of deep, dull aching pain began to crescendo again in my left side radiating across my middle to my back.  It had been about fifteen minutes since the last crash of the wave, so I knew the inevitable was upon me. My only momentary relief from the pain was vomiting my guts into the trashcan.  So, I reluctantly grabbed the plastic container again, and hugging it, waited for the compulsion to hurl to commence.   The pain reached the point of no return, causing my stomach to convulse. At this very… Read More

Raindrops are falling on my head And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed Nothing seems to fit Those raindrops are falling on my head, they keep falling So I just did me some talking to the sun And I said I didn’t like the way he got things done Sleeping on the job Those raindrops are falling on my head, they keep falling But there’s one thing I know The blues they send to meet me Won’t defeat me, it won’t be long Till happiness steps… Read More

“Ma…Ma…Ma……..”  What is this I hear?  The bleating of sheep in my ears. Two years ago, we broke our homeowners association’s covenant big time.  Guilty was the verdict.  Before you turn us in, I must explain.  We fostered new born lambs in our home for a week as part of a 4H project.  I did just say “in our home”.  Actually, they lived in our breakfast area, until they began to leap over the barrier I had erected, invading our living room. We did it all:  stayed up for multiple nights losing… Read More

“Said the night wind to the little lamb, “Do you see what I see? Way up in the sky, little lamb, Do you see what I see? A star, a star dancing in the night…’” In the past, the Christmas season has been a high trigger time for me, like it is for many.  The reason was growing up, life was not as it seemed.  It was the time of year that the expectation was for our lives to look happy, joyous, and celebratory, but beneath the surface, pain, lies, and fear… Read More