The eyes that once danced with life—eyes that could focus with the intensity of an eagle after its prey or love with the affection of a mother for her baby— now stare blankly at nothing, emotionless. I peer into those eyes, hoping for something: maybe the reboot of a soul, the reemergence of then into …
My wife occasionally bursts into song when it’s just the two of us at home. “You have a really good voice,” I compliment her. “You should be singing in the choir.” She disagrees: “My voice isn’t that good. Remember, I didn’t even make the Varsity Choir in high school.” I think she’s improved. I heard her again the other …
I called it my African tree, although it had reached maturity long before I took possession of the property on which it stood. “Look at it,” I said to my wife as we sat on our back patio. “It’s out of Africa and out of place and so alone. It looks like one of those …
She sits among several of her fellow residents at the long term care facility I visit, ensconced in her wheel chair, sometimes napping, sometimes staring. I suppose I’ve walked past her dozens of times, greeting her with a casual “Hello” or “How are you?” I can’t say I’ve taken the time to wait for a …
Granddad Whitlock, whom we affectionately called Pappy, liked to say the people in Texas were among the friendliest folks on earth. Pappy was born in Texas, in the tiny town of Osage. Although he spent most of his adult years in Oklahoma, he was always proud to be a native Texan. “I was driving back …