I woke up feeling as gray as the day itself. Heavy, soggy, misty. The weight stayed on me through coffee, through my morning work, through lunch when my eyes began raining for no reason at all. It seemed like it might turn into a wasted day. Browsing my email listlessly, I came across a story about … read more Get out
Tag: 1973
Roll of the Dice
When I was about 6 years old, my sister Maggie accused me of cheating in Yahtzee. Although I was a smart kid, cheating at dice was out of my league. Maggie was just mad because I was lucky. I’m not the kind of lucky where I can pick the winning horse at the track. Not that … read more Roll of the Dice
Through the lens
In the midst of the reunion, my cousin Gary pulled me aside. “I have something for you,” he said. “Is now a good time?” I hadn’t seen Gary more than a couple times in the past 45 years. I couldn’t imagine what he could have brought from Arizona for me, or why we needed to … read more Through the lens
The mother in Virginia
Fifty-two years ago today, a teenage girl in Richmond, Virginia gave birth to a healthy baby boy. She knew he would never again see her smiling at him, or hear her voice say “I love you.” She gave him a name, knowing that he would never use that name. And then she let him go. Today, on … read more The mother in Virginia