Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
Tag: mother
Wishing for More Weeds
In the hottest part of the summer August when our lawn turns brown Unwatered and drier than sand My mother pulls weeds Working her way up one side And down the other of the gravel driveway Pulling each dandelion growing along the Edge of… Continue Reading “Wishing for More Weeds”
Ms. Fix-It
Every time I see my kids, I want to fix something. Give advice, make a plan, counsel, analyze, and assess. This is a habit that I am trying to break. There are easier things. Tonight, I had a plan to dash from my class… Continue Reading “Ms. Fix-It”
At My Mother’s Knee
Showing up after ten years’ absence when your mother is ill with Alzheimer’s Disease and having her look at you and say, “I never thought I’d see you again,” and realizing that if you had waited, like you wanted to, for another six months… Continue Reading “At My Mother’s Knee”
The Rest of the Short Story
“Over the turned way down sounds of the Supremes’ Baby Love coming from the tiny AM radio on the bookshelf, she heard the car’s gravel crunch. Were there two voices or just one?” Yesterday, I wrote these 33 words in response to a Trifecta… Continue Reading “The Rest of the Short Story”
The Mother My Daughter Is
I like to say I knew her when. I knew her when her bangs were cut straight across with sewing scissors because the idea of spending real money on a haircut for a kid seemed outlandish to me. I knew her when she would… Continue Reading “The Mother My Daughter Is”
Today is the Day We Wash All the Black Bras
I handed my little granddaughter one black bra and told her to put it down the laundry chute. Then called to her, “Hey, take this one, too.” She waited for me to toss it. “Today is the day we wash all the black bras.”… Continue Reading “Today is the Day We Wash All the Black Bras”
My Tattoo
What’s your tattoo? What do you put on your arm or your shoulder or the top of your foot? What’s the symbol? The one thing that would have such enduring meaning that you wouldn’t mind glancing down at your withered feet to see your… Continue Reading “My Tattoo”
Walk Diary #2: Let’s Do This Damn Thing
I made the mistake of telling people I was pregnant 30 seconds after it happened. Then ensued what seemed an interminable wait for my baby to be born prompting regular inquiries, “Haven’t you had that baby yet?” Of course, the baby ended up being… Continue Reading “Walk Diary #2: Let’s Do This Damn Thing”
On My Mother’s Birthday
We weren’t much for celebrating birthdays in our family. Oh, occasionally, there would be a cake and I do remember one party with an assortment of kids around our dining room table. But it was only once. It’s a family’s mom who organizes things like… Continue Reading “On My Mother’s Birthday”
Will the Last Thought to Leave, Please Turn Off the Light?
I am doomed. If I thought I was going to do figure eights around Alzheimer’s Disease, taking first the inner edge then the outer of a perfect pair of white figure skates, laughing knowingly at my age peers stringing little beads together around a… Continue Reading “Will the Last Thought to Leave, Please Turn Off the Light?”
Snow Door | wisconsinacademy.org
Listen to Jan read her essay “Billy” presented on WUWM’s Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “At the Breakfast Bar” on WUWM Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “The Parish Hall,” on WUWM Lake Effect
“Fury Cannot Touch Me,” Modern Love, NYT, 9/29/11
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