children, Family, inspiration, Joy, Life, Poetry, Writing

Christmas Bells on the Door: A Corrie Poem

The Christmas bells on green strings still sound ...

children, inspiration, Life, Poetry, Writing

A Short Corrie Poem, Gravel Drive

Birds chirp like Broadway singers singing different words at one time.

Death, History, parenthood, Poetry, World War II, Writing

Hallie, Did You Know? (A Goodbye Poem for Marshall and Corrie)

Hallie, did you replay your last goodbye ...

bereavement, Life, Literature, Loss, Poetry

The G-Word

This is the fourth post in my goodbye series. Dedicated to those who have ever had to say goodbye too soon. July is is Bereaved Parents' Month. Don't say the g-word. I don't want to hear it. "God?" you ask. I roll my eyes like my daughter, Corrie, did when I asked her a question… Continue reading The G-Word

autism, Family, Friends, Grief, kindness, Life, Loss, Mental Health, parenthood, Photography, Photos, Poetry, Writing

With my Goodbye, Mom, Your Walls will Fall Down

This is the second in a six part blog series about goodbye. In times of tragedy, friends and family say more with goodbye than we could ever imagine. With her final goodbye, Corrie busted up my walls I'd built around me over a period of six years. Corrie was a more social creature than I… Continue reading With my Goodbye, Mom, Your Walls will Fall Down

Communication, Life, parenthood, Photography, Photos, Poetry, Writing

Remember Me, Mommy (a Corrie Poem)

“Remember me, Mommy,” I hear her say.  “I know who you are, and who took me to all the places. Don’t let your brain go  to places or people who were never with me.”   To the field or in my dreams, I reply to her,  “It just made me mad what she did to… Continue reading Remember Me, Mommy (a Corrie Poem)

Family, Grief, parenthood, parenting, Poetry, Writing

If Corrie was There (a Poem)

If Corrie was there, she'd run ahead of Hayes and me in a skirt with sparkles flopping up and down. Sparkles on her skirt were okay, but they could never be on the leggings or shorts that touched her skin. She'd rush ahead to inspect the tables set up by the church for her brother's… Continue reading If Corrie was There (a Poem)

Family, Life, parenthood, Poetry, Writing

Excerpt from “Be Kind, Rewind,” A Corrie Poem

At any one time, I work on three to four poems about Corrie. I have a memoir essay called "Lessons Home Economics Forgot to Teach" about Corrie. Then there is the memoir, Corrie's Season. How could I have so much to write about with one child and five and a half years? Corrie was a… Continue reading Excerpt from “Be Kind, Rewind,” A Corrie Poem

Grief, Life, parenthood, Photography, Photos, Poetry

The Time We Long For

Time. Such a small word for multiple meanings. Yes, it can be defined in so many different ways. Then from it's definition, we have so many questions. For example, time can be the hours, minutes and seconds in a single day. Time might mean how many days until summer vacation. I have seen the twitch… Continue reading The Time We Long For

Family, Life, Loss, Photos, Poetry, Writing

The Corrie Poem So I Write

I was blessed with a daughter on a day in December when it looked gray and had rained. The nurse wanted to take my baby from my arms and put her in a crib. I cried waking my husband on the couch as I said how "I want to go home." He said we would… Continue reading The Corrie Poem So I Write