Humanity: Raw & Unfiltered
Seeking someone to fill perfect mother vacancy. Must be very good-hearted, but not so good as to cause feelings of inadequacy. Must be happy, but not so happy-go-lucky as to cause feelings of jealousy. Must be self-sacrificing, but not so selfless as to teach the wrong message about boundaries. Must Read more
At night, after my day as a spice merchant concludes, the smell of garlic and onion dust coats my clothes and body like a new skin, as though I am someone different. I do not shower before visiting my parents, my scent melds with their age and confinement. My mother Read more
Why does our new house always feel dark? Some nights, the darkness steals my sleep, seeping from the corners of my bedroom. Is the house gloomy, or the people inside? The backyard looks so light, so bright, but it’s merely the snow’s reflection. My mother has a new bird book, Read more
I’ve never minded solitude. For a writer, it’s a natural condition. But caring for a dementia sufferer leads to a particular kind of loneliness. —Laurie Graham My mother is leaving me. Her mind allows her to tell me about my favorite stuffed animal when I was three, my Effalunt, but Read more
When my mother died, the vast weather of anger surrounding her like a force of nature dissolved and disappeared as if overnight. The change was astonishing. My father had his difficulties, but a constant display of anger was not one of them. In the old days, I might have gone Read more
Behind every mother, there is despair and strength. Behind every mother, there are tears of joy and pride. Behind every mother, trash bins wait to be emptied, mountains of dirty laundry to be washed, and meals cooked. It is a dirty, thankless job being a yes mother. Twenty-four hours is Read more
I am watching pink streaks lighten the gray dawn, deepening and glowing as the minutes pass above silhouetted firs, brightness glowing from the bottom, skyward. I think about my mother, seated in her chair facing sliding glass doors to the porch, her face towards the light, keeping vigil, watching the Read more
