Do you remember being young? I do. Remember being excited to be able to ride your two-wheeler bike by yourself? How about getting your Drivers’ License? More independence, right?

How about chafing at the teachers who scolded you for talking in class? The vice-principals who shook their heads and pulled out a measuring tape to make sure your skirt ( Read more... )

Mama gazed with unabashed awe at her newborn. Such perfection! Tears of joy and appreciation streaked her face. Father broke his long habit of not showing his emotions. A heartfelt grin of pride spread across his face. This was the most wonderful day of his life ( Read more... )

Coby was wiped out. He pulled his soaked soccer jersey away from his body hoping for a little bit of cooling. He spotted three of his teammates sprawled like fallen logs on the grass in the shade under a gargantuan sycamore. Two of them, Nathan and Jonathan, hung their heads like spent racehorses.  The MVP of the game, Marco, lay on the grass ( Read more... )

We sat around the dinner table, our family of six happily sharing a meal with our grandparents.  Having the grandparents there was in itself always an occasion for family celebration.  We chatted about our lives as we passed heaping bowls and platters of another of our mom’s wonderful meals. We likely faced succulent roast beef, crispy, tangy green ( Read more... )

Christine sat on the side of her bed. A sickening feeling threatened to rise up in her gut and drown her.  The rosy patterned wallpaper of her room did nothing to lift her spirits. Nor did the forgotten school books splayed out on her bed ( Read more... )

Grampa gazed fondly upon his sweet granddaughter Stephanie as she busied herself in his garden. His heart swelled as he saw the golden halo of her strawberry blond curls backlit from the sun. Stephanie was bending over to studiously select special rocks to slip into the pockets of her denim overalls. She glanced up at him furtively and quickly ( Read more... )

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They say that the definition of being Clueless is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. Therefore, I am carefully considering the following facts of my life as it is while participating in LJI

1. I have taken great enjoyment from creating the written pieces that I submitted to this contest in the past
2. ( Read more... )

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“Don’t get up, Dad. I’ll get the door,” Karen called. She shut the refrigerator and wiped her hands on her pockets before hustling off to answer the doorbell ( Read more... )

Meanwhile, down the hall from Emilio and Joe...

Patrick Murphy leaned in to peer closely into the large crystalline globe in front of him. The damp odors around him faded from his mind as he focused past the glinting sparkles in the glass.  What began as swirling clouds settled into a happy scene, a little girl’s birthday party.

***Clare took in ( Read more... )