I Didn’t Know

I asked one of my students to be in a skit for an upcoming youth service for our church.

“Oh no. I’d be too scared.” Kara looked down.

“Do you get stage fright?” I sensed her timidity.

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THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE

Our driveway has a drainage problem. It slopes toward the garage, a quirk of the terrain. Rain pools in a mini-lake that in winter freezes into a rink large enough for grandkids to skate on. Sure, we could invest a great deal of money to have the problem corrected, but how many homes can boast their own skating rink? Selling point, right?
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Frogger

Looking to the left, I saw three people walking side by side, and crowds of people trailing behind. Looking to my right, I saw a mom pushing a stroller, with another child on a leashed harness. Behind her there were three more people, and then a gap before the next convoy of travelers.
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PEACE AND QUIET

Running errands with my over-active, over-talkative four-year-old son challenged my reservoir of parenting patience. As we drove the fifteen miles into town and then from bank to post office to grocery store, Luke rehearsed of every thought that had crossed his mind since birth.
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Winter Wonderland

By Kathy Carlton Willis

“The following school districts are closed today, due to snow: Bowling Green, Clarksville, Louisiana…” Anytime snow fell, we huddled around Dad’s radio to listen to KPCR’s school closing listings. I grew up in Louisiana, Missouri, and it took quite a few inches to have a snow day. We loved having these free days off. No homework. No cares in the world. Just glorious snow calling our names.

First we bundled up in our winter clothes to enjoy the imaginary land of Eskimos and Snow Angels. When ice crystals hardened our gloves into crunchy wool, we stomped inside for a warm-up. With hot chocolate in our systems, we wanted to go back into the cold white snowy paradise. Before Mom allowed us to go outdoors again, we had to strip out of our cold, wet garments, and into dry warm ones. Often we covered our cold digits with socks to shield them from the frigid temperatures, while our first generation of winter garments stayed inside without us, draped near the gas heater to dry out.

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