Hearing the word evokes fear. Even pronouncing it carries sinister undertones. The nasty little word has an eerie echo, evoking the image of a snake slithering across the jungle floor, forked tongue probing for prey. Cancer. Repeat it slowly, “cancer, cancer, cancer,” and it grows louder with every repetition, even if you only whisper it. …
Sweet quotes about a new baby abound: “A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on” (Unknown). “Every child begins the world again” (Henry David Thoreau). “Babies smile in their sleep because they’re listening to the whispering of angels” (Unknown). “Sometimes the littlest things take up the most room in your heart” (Winnie …
With my dogs pulling me on their leashes like we were an Iditarod sled team, we rounded the street corner towards the house. That’s when the car’s headlights almost blinded me in the early morning darkness. Not recognizing the vehicle, I assumed the driver to be an interloper in our neighborhood. Whomever it was, they …
It’s been called The Devil’s Hour, 3 a.m., supposedly a mocking inversion of the hour Jesus died: 3 p.m. I have my doubts: would that be 3 a.m. Jerusalem time, which would be 8 p.m. my time? 8 p.m. doesn’t carry the mystique for devil-doings like 3 a.m. What I do know is that I …
We caught the early morning flight, 6:15, out of Lincoln, Nebraska. As our plane ascended, enveloped in the darkness, most passengers were sleeping with their window shades pulled down, ignoring the stewardess’s memorized flight instructions. The cabin lights were off. All was hushed. I tried closing my eyes and dozing like everyone else. No success. …