Black Eye, Blue Sky

All Savannah wanted was to be loved and cherished, but her husband had other plans.

Black Eye, Blue Sky

  I’ve spent the last three years writing a book and it’s so close to completion, I can feel it in my hands. And the cover!  Thanks to artist Melinda Martin, it captures the essence of the story: All Savannah wanted was to be loved and cherished, but her husband had other plans. Savannah’s heart …

Daffodil Daughters

Does anyone understand daughters of the daffodils? what they want? how they think?   The Mother Daffodil thinks only of herself. Her glory is her sunburst crown of gold swaying in the breezes rising through valleys and hills.   Cut her leaves before they yellow? She’ll not wear her crown next time round, I swear …

There I Go Again

Hate has become a swear word for younger children. I know because I used the word once in front of my granddaughter, I think in reference to bananas. She was five at the time and she said, “Oh, grandmama, that’s a bad word. We’re not allowed to say that word.” I’ve tried not to use …

The Smile in front of the Pain

One of my favorite lines from the movie Elf is when Buddy says “I just like to smile. Smiling is my favorite.” I like to smile, too, and these days, it’s truly coming from an authentic place. But when I was younger, it was sometimes to hide pain that was too shameful to talk about. This …

Happy Father’s Day to my Husband

You were the mainstay-ship when the dark waters loomed and as the winds wailed so long ago you were the transport on which we found our way.   You brought us to harbor and became the bridge we walked across to gardens of butterflies and chipmunks; to pogo sticks and bicycles and swimming pools You …

A dead bird, a security camera, and the meaning of life

There it lay, a dead bird outside our garage door. It must not have seen the huge garage doors and flew smack dab into them or gotten into a fight with another bird. At least that’s what I thought until I watched the security camera footage. Yeah, I’ve got some time on my hands. I …

Domestic violence hits close to home

We were just back from our honeymoon when my new husband didn't like something I said, and he backhanded me across the face.  It was the first time he ever hit me. I sat, stunned, my teeth ringing, as his wedding band, the symbol of forever love, smashed into my mouth. I tasted blood. My …

Run Free, Woman!

A friend of mine told me about a church she knows of that is exacting discipline on a woman because she filed for divorce from her husband. She claims he emotionally abused her. The elders, all male, in the church say that she has no “biblical basis” for divorce. Therefore, they are “disciplining” her. I’ll make …

How the hell do I forgive someone who abused me as a child?!

 This is an excellent question, but the answer may not be what you think. We’ve been told that forgiveness is giving up the right to revenge; that it’s the right thing to do, and if we don’t forgive, that we won’t be forgiven. Visions of hell taunt us if we fail to forgive our abusers …