There’s a nine-month-old standing unsteadily on the kitchen counter while her mother stands before her, arms outstretched in case the wobbling turns into a fall. She maintains her unsteady standing position for almost a full minute, until the back door opens, startling her ( Read more... )

It’s easy for her to disconnect herself. It’s easy to fold laundry and polish the banister, and not even notice what goes on outside of the house. She hears Jonathan come in the back door. She knows there’s something wrong when she calls out to him and he doesn’t respond. She finds him upstairs in their bedroom, standing at her dresser with their ( Read more... )

I've had quite a bit of experience with jealous men. I seem to attract them. My father was a jealous man. He paid absolutely no attention to my mother and saw to it that no other man ever did either. If a man so much as looked at my mother, my father would find some way of ruining the man's reputation entirely, then go back to ignoring her again. ( Read more... )

Discuss your family's opinion of your partner and how much their feelings influence you.
Their feelings didn't influence me at all. My parents' feelings, that is. They hated Jonathan. They hated everything about him. Where he was from, how he lived, the way he dressed, the way he talked. Everything. I knew they would hate him the minute he asked me ( Read more... )

“I already told you, we aren’t going to do this again ( Read more... )

The weeks after Jonathan’s death are about the children. She doesn’t have time to notice or think about the fact that he’s gone. She hasn't stopped long enough to realize she’s alone. Every second goes into planning the funeral, getting things in order, consoling everyone else. People show up at the farm with flowers and tuna casseroles, taking her ( Read more... )

Like many people, Martha Kent finds she does the most thinking while in the shower. There she is calm, quiet, isolated, and given no other options. A succession of thoughts can be her only pastime ( Read more... )

"Family isn't about whose blood you have. It's about who you care about." -Trey Parker and Matt Stone, South Park
Well. I never thought I'd find myself commenting on words of wisdom from South Park of all programs. But this struck a chord with me when I saw it ( Read more... )

Lately when she dreams, she can feel him. They're lying in bed, her back is turned to him, and she can feel his fingers travel down her bare arm until his hand grasps hers. Eyes still closed, she smiles. The smile grows wider when she feels his lips touch her shoulder, and just as she turns her head to kiss him, she wakes up. Gasping for air, ( Read more... )

You Need Friends to Be Happy
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