They walked towards us like zombies. Heads down, arms out, cell phones in hand. Mouths agape, we stepped off the sidewalk to let them pass. Not one of the family of four looked up; not one of them noticed our family of six. Surely, they were joking, poking some family fun at society’s cultural norm. But they weren’t laughing, and neither were we. In fact, they continued on in the same manner, entranced and disengaged, somehow staying on their path. A half-hour later, they lurched past us again, the dad one step ahead, two young children side-by-side, and the mom trailing behind, heads down, arms out, eyes glued. Every. Single. One.
Continue reading “Cell Phone Kids”
Sunny Day Snow Play (Mom’s Stuck!)
We almost didn’t post this one. The adventure happened weeks ago on a rare, surprise snow day, and we stayed home to enjoy it. Home, yes, but we left our house in the drifts and trudged toward the hill. Our plastic sled-somethings and unbending wooden skim board tucked optimistically under our arms, we set out on foot, smashing snowflakes into tread. Continue reading “Sunny Day Snow Play (Mom’s Stuck!)”
“Walk a Little Slower, Daddy”
Footprints
“Walk a little slower, Daddy,” said a little child so small.
“I’m following in your footsteps and I don’t want to fall.Sometimes your steps are very fast, sometimes they’re hard to see;
So walk a little slower Daddy, for you are leading me.Someday when I’m all grown up, you’re what I want to be.
Then I will have a little child who’ll want to follow me.And I would want to lead just right, and know that I was true;
So, walk a little slower, Daddy, for I must follow you.”– Bobbie Norman
Pigtails & Rainbows
January 20, 2018
She interrupts me. Clutching a brush and opening her hand to reveal two tiny, mismatched hairbands, she demands a hairdo.
“Two pigtails. High ones and tight ones.”
“Please….” I remind her.
We go through this every day: urgent pigtails, insisted and expected, usually an interruption. Continue reading “Pigtails & Rainbows”