Remedy

Achoo!

She made a quick grab for a tissue. The cold virus that had invaded her home, reducing her husband and children to irritable, aching puddles of stuffy heads, had finally broken down her defenses.

Achoo!

This can’t be! I have too many things to do! Her thoughts swirled, losing coherence as her body prepared to fight the invisible invaders. A slow creep of fatigue and filling sinuses sent her shuffling to the medicine cabinet. If only it was so simple. She closed the cabinet and made her way back to bed knowing sleep was the best remedy of all.

Backyard Sighting

Up above, the spreading reaching limbs of a hundred year old Oak tree created a rugged edge to the spot of blue sky visible to the children standing in the backyard. The older boy stood with his arms crossed, his feet firmly planted as he waited to see where his younger sister would go. He had planned on spending the day advancing his video game character, not babysitting, and certainly not hanging out in the yard.

“David. Look!”

He turned in the direction Elizabeth was pointing and caught sight of a quick flash of silver. It couldn’t be, could it?

For A Second

She stood in the hallway, her body numb with fatigue and closed her eyes. Around her flowed the sounds of her colleagues as they made their way between one hospital room and another, dispensing care and making reports.

When asked to work a double shift she said yes. The extra money would help in a budget that seldom stretched far enough for her and her five children.

“Sarah?”

“Got it. Just needed to close my eyes for a second.” She said renewed energy flowing within. She acknowledged the flashing light of one of her patients and headed toward the room.

First Snowfall

New fallen snow covered the back yard. Two toddlers stared out at the winter wonderland. Daddy helped first one then the other into snow-pants and boots. Next came winter coats, hats and mittens. Ready at last, bundled up against the cold, they push against the door eager to explore the novel groundcover.

Frigid air greeted them as they stepped outside. Cautious at first they squatted down to brush at the white fluff. A snowy mitten was raised for closer examination. A curious tongue touched it. Eyes opened wide at the cool freshness and a smile lit up the tiny face.

A new year and a new beginning

The last year has been a year of changing tides both blessed with new babies being born, time spent with family and friends, and sadden by the loss of loved ones. Often the shift from one emotional state to the other and every feeling in-between would happen in space of a heartbeat. At other times the intensity of grief would slow time to a standstill and the minutes, hours and days would slide by without change. Then, without warning a small thing, the happy smile of a child, a polite ‘excuse me’ in a crowded store, or a caring call from someone not heard from for a long time would shift the world around me like the first hint of spring at the end of a long, cold, dark winter and life swells with warmth of love and friends and family and the simply joy of living.

May the New Year bring light to the shadows and new beginnings!

Asleep/Not Asleep

A sleepy glance at the digital numbers on the bedside clock confirmed her suspicion, one o’clock in the morning. She had fallen into an exhausted slumber at ten expecting to catch up from a week of soothing family friction, but her mind was racing. Another glance, two o’clock. She groaned, flipped her pillow, turned over and tried focusing her thoughts on her breathing, in, out, in, out.

The dark stillness of the night, once soothing and comforting, felt oppressive in its slow march toward morning.

Three o’clock, another hour of fragmented dwelling on words not spoken, words best not spoken.