Lonesome Dove Redux

The lone dove lost her mate a couple years ago — the image of her guarding his lifeless body is one I cannot shake (no matter how hard I try). She now hangs out with two others; sometimes they tolerate her. Others, they distance themselves whenever she approaches.

Moments before I took this photo, they were resting three in a row. But in the few seconds it took for me to retrieve my camera, the pair took one simultaneous shake of their wings and “hopped” one wire over, leaving the widow alone in their wake.

The Pandemic (From the Perspective of a Three Year Old)

My daughter’s favorite stuffy has been bedridden with a terrible cold for two days now. She’s also started writing/singing songs about needing to stay home to stay well.

We’ve had to walk a fine line between being open and honest with her — and keeping her at peace. But invariably every time we have to explain something new (why play dates are cancelled... why we aren’t going to preschool... why we can’t go to the playground... why we can’t go to restaurants... why we can’t go visit grandma...), the stress digs in a little deeper, no matter how delicately we deliver the words.

Just a reminder that even the littlest humans are indeed still human, and this is a tough time for them, too.

So be patient. Walk away if you get angry, and give them a hug even when their sadness defies all reason. Do whatever you can to make the most of this time together, and when all else fails, remember to give yourself a break, too.

Lost Between Worlds

This was my first trip to my hometown without a dad to visit (memorial services notwithstanding). It felt upside down and incomplete, like holding a glass to your lips and expecting one drink, but finding yourself instead tasting another. The two flavors — one a ghost, the other your reality — at odds between your brain and your tongue as you fight to understand: What tyranny is this?