Tag: family

Kick Off Your Shoes

On By Piano girl4 Comments

We used to live in a two-story house. It was great for growing kids. All their bedrooms were upstairs, making it quiet for mom and dad downstairs.

Whenever they would get home from school, shoes were kicked off at the bottom of the stairs. This was not an expectation or house rule. It is just what they did. At some point, we placed a small storage bench at the bottom of the stairs. A place just for shoes.

I can picture them now. Shoes off, heading up the stairs. It was time to relax after homework and a snack, of course.

Hi, Mom!
Hi! How was school? Homework?

Kids are all grown up. We no longer have stairs. Nor the same number of shoes.

Today, I decided to clean the laundry room. Ours is attached to the garage. And often becomes the drop zone for lots of non-laundry stuff. It is small, but there is a counter for folding.

Once the counter was cleaned off, I knew it needed a little something. Maybe a cute laundry sign. Something small, simple. Just enough to encourage us to keep it clean.

My daughter, Rachel, and I went shopping this afternoon. Looking at Christmas decorations and possible décor for the laundry room. I had just about given up when we saw the perfect sign.

Not at all what I had pictured, yet, perfect!

I know only close friends and family will likely enter our home through the garage. But I hope those that do take the message to heart. Like the kids when they were little, kick off those shoes and let go of their worries. If they’re lucky, there might even be snacks!

A New Day

On By Piano girl1 Comment

Bright
Sunshine
Ushers in
A new day
Along with it
A new perspective
Yesterday
The sky was
Sleepy
Gray
Still
Do you think
Like us, it also
Needed rest?
Thinking
Quiet
Still
Appreciating
Each moment
Given
Accepting
Each goodbye
Spoken
Certain
The sweetest
Symbol
For love
Rooted deep
In our hearts
Is a smile
Accompanied
By tears

We will be driving home today. And though I am confident in my dad’s medical care and progress, it was hard to say goodbye.

This morning, the sun shone brightly on Pinnacle Mountain. A landmark that was crucial in my growing up years. Whether viewing it from a distance or standing on its peak, always enamored with its beauty.

When trying to explain where I grew up. Have you heard of Pinnacle Mountain? I grew up out in the country, about three miles from there.

I was thankful for its beautiful colors this morning to guide us out.

I will be back soon! ❤️

Woo Pig From the Eighth Floor

On By Piano girl20 Comments

Here we are again. Not sure I know anyone who likes hospitals. Some display more adverse reactions than others, I suppose. But when medical care is needed, I am thankful for their existence.

My dad had open-heart surgery eight months ago. During those scary moments of the unknown, doctors and nurses were caring for him. Giving value to his life, even though they did not know him personally.

He is back in the hospital. Difficulty breathing led to the discovery of fluid in his lungs. No complete answers yet, but there is comfort in the familiar. Walking the same halls. Experiencing the same level of care.

No, it’s not where any of us would choose to be on this sunny Saturday. But I am grateful. Sitting here, talking to my dad. Excited to watch Razorback football with him this afternoon. Even if it is from his eighth-floor room at the hospital. Woo Pig Soooie!

Disclosure

On By Piano girl14 Comments

Yesterday
My steps
Were heavy
Even the ones
Taking me
Where
I wanted
To go
Precious feet
Walked beside
In the sunlight
Of a clear
Fall day
Splashes
Of color
Painting
Our paths
Until the light
Slipped away
And heaviness
Completely
Draped
Demanding
To be named
Before sleep
Could come-
Now morning,
Fragments
Remain-
But I smile
At the beautiful
Pink sunrise

I have not written about depression lately. But honesty is my goal. And sometimes, admitting how I feel is the first step to feeling better. I love the fall colors and cooler temps. But when sunsets come earlier and cloudy days are multiplied, struggle sets in.

I am thankful for friends and family who understand and remind me it is ok.

The photo was actually taken a year ago. Matched today perfectly.

Simply Sunday

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Need to Know

That you are
Safe
Well-fed
Healthy
Claim
Your own
Identity
With
Confidence
Have friends
Are a friend
But most
Of all
That you are
Loved
Just the way
You are

Our friend, Marie, visited this weekend. It is always good to see her. She has a hold on my heart. Continues to grow and mature. And though some level of support may always be needed, she has come so far.

Next year she will turn eighteen, graduate from high school. Today even mentioned getting a job.

She has come so far…after going through so much. Things I wish could be erased-no, had never happened.

I am thankful she lives in a loving home. She will remain there even after her birthday. And while we may not be her family, we will continue to be her people.

Face to Face with Child Abuse: Personal Reflections of a Teacher

Miss You Tomorrow

How Are You?

On By Piano girl5 Comments

So many ways
To say hello
A smile, a wave
Subtle nod
Raised voice
Not due to anger
Simply passing
At a distance
How are you?
Do I really
Want to know?
Will I slow down
And listen?
A choice to
Walk past or
Walk closer
Study expression
Notice position
Discern
Whether
Or not
I’m fine
Is an honest answer
Or a cover
For the heart
Desperately
Wanting to say
I could use a friend
Do you have time to talk?

How often do I allow the busyness of each day to hinder me from listening? Listening to myself, family, friends. It is those moments of intentional listening that remind me of the beautiful connections possible in this life. And the knowledge there is power in the simple act of stopping to listen.

A Time to Talk by Robert Frost https://poets.org/poem/time-talk?mbd=1 ❤️

Writing Circle

On By Piano girl9 Comments

Sharing two poems I wrote in a recent poetry circle facilitated by Ali Grimshaw https://flashlightbatteries.blog/. I continued to be amazed at the beautiful connections made across many miles over computer screens. ❤️

At Seven

It is difficult
To remember
The me who
Once was seven
Do you find
The same
To be true?
Oh, there are
Glimpses
Flashes of
Childhood
Aided by
Photographs
The reciting
Of stories at
Family gatherings
I believe at seven
Happy outweighed sad
And freedom came
When swinging
To the sky
Then bravely
Jumping out
It is difficult
To remember
The me who
Once was seven
But I am grateful
For her spirit
Continuing
To reside in me
Even when
I’m afraid
To jump out
Of the swing

Tiny Boxes

Hours spent
Together
Make me want
To remember
Not just the present
But every visit past-
Each block of time
Long or short
Places another box
Inside my heart
Tiny boxes
Full of surprises
To open when
Days are long
Mind-wandering
Tiny boxes
Fighting battles
Threatening
To take away
Focus, purpose, joy
Tiny boxes
Filled with
Memories
Of loving and
Being loved

Simply Sunday

On By Piano girl6 Comments
There and Back

How far is too far?
To travel
For one
Conversation
Over a meal
Or a cup of coffee
For one hug
Combining
Both greeting
And goodbye
Considering time
As the crucial
Measurement
These may
Seem minor
Unimportant
Except for years
Of living
That reveal
In certain times
With certain
Loved ones
That one conversation
Over a meal
Or a cup of coffee
That one hug
Combining
Both greeting
And goodbye
May hold the key
To a treasure trove
Of memories
Enough to
Last a lifetime
Face to face
Heart to heart
No thought
Given to
Time
Distance
Or the drive
There and back

Macaroni and Cheese

On By Piano girl6 Comments

I like macaroni and cheese. In high school, that and baking a cake were the extent of my cooking. My mom even entered a recipe on my behalf for a church cookbook one year. Not a cake. Oh no, it was the instructions from the back of the Kraft macaroni and cheese box.

My kids also like mac-n-cheese. It was a staple in our house. Of course, I always tried to pair it with broccoli or green beans. Balanced meals, you know.

Some stories need to be remembered. Told over and over. Handed down from one generation to the next. And not just the ones considered to be pleasant. Also, the challenging ones. Those are the ones that show resilience, teaching valuable lessons.

This is one of those stories. And, of course, it involves macaroni and cheese.

My parents have always been hard workers. But like many others, hard work did not always keep hard times at bay. Some years were more difficult than others. And when I was little, money was tight.

My dad was a carpenter and was working on a house about an hour away from our home. One day, mom and I went along for the ride. Well, sort of. You see, he had not yet gotten paid for his work.

Macaroni and cheese…they had one box left. So, we went with him, taking the box along with us. While dad was working, mom cooked the mac-n-cheese on the job site in an electric popcorn popper. That way, all three of us would have something to eat for lunch.

That same day, the woman that owned the property retrieved a frozen chicken from her kitchen. And though my dad was a little uncertain about that chicken, it went home with us that afternoon, along with his paycheck. It was available that day after work.

Perhaps some would think of this as a sad story. Not me. I see the resilience of two people, able to keep going, making the best out of a difficult situation.

Anytime we talk about this time in our lives, Mom always reassures me. “No matter how hard things got, we always made sure you did not go without. You always had what you needed.” Without a doubt. ❤️

Truth is, not only did we survive as a family, but we also thrived! And though my cooking skills have improved a little, I still like macaroni and cheese.

Two Poems

On By Piano girl14 Comments

Elbows and Knees

I cried at the sight
Of you frail
Unaware of
My presence-
Chose to remember
Different images
On that day-
Tall and lanky
Uncanny ability
To sit comfortably
On your haunches
Elbows perched
On knees
Backside inches
From the ground-
My college senior
Piano recital
Me in my black dress
You in your blue
Cotton shirt and pants
Both beaming-
Five years later
Christmastime
My newborn son
Sleeping in your arms-
After you were gone
I saw your reflection
As my son sat
On his haunches
Elbows perched
On knees
Backside inches
From the ground-
Pictures of you
Held dear,
Grandpa

Workshirt

The morning
Is dark blue
The kind of blue
That almost
Looks black
But once
The sun rises
Turns to cerulean-
As the day
Progresses
The sky shifts
Until night washes
Over the work
Of the day
Bringing rest
To the Earth-
And rest to you
Handsome you
Strong you
Wearing your
Favorite blue shirt
Faded with time
As the dirt
And sweat
From a lifetime
Of hard work
Was washed away

I wrote the first poem specifically about my Grandpa Crow. He was a sweet man. Hardworking and loved to fish. The second could describe many different people from my growing up years. Maybe you can relate. 😊❤️