No Frost on the Pumpkins
We have lived along the shoreline of Lake Erie for thirty years, and in that time our climate has noticeably changed.
When we first moved here, we had to bring our outdoor potted plants indoors in mid-September, to protect them from frost. It’s now November, and many of our potted plants are still outside. My canna lilies are still in the ground, still blooming red, with no frost damage on the leaves. Today it is snowing for the first time this year, weeks later than usual, and we still we haven’t had a frost.
No Frost on the Pumpkins Read More »
A Kick of Gratitude
When I finally called and told my in-laws that I was six-and-a-half months pregnant with a baby boy, they were over the moon! I had lost two babies as miscarriages before my son and daughter were born, so I was wary of breaking the news early. We decided to name him after my dad Joseph, as my oldest was named after my father-in-law!
A few days later, working as a nurse in a local hospital, I went in to help one of the nursing attendants put a patient on a stretcher.
A Kick of Gratitude Read More »
Amen
Gratitude? I’m measuring it in numbers these days.
Two inches of hair now sprout from the bare patches on top of my head. To be honest, when I look in the mirror first thing in the morning, I don’t feel all that grateful. An unfamiliar shape stares back at me, one that looks a bit like a tufted titmouse. That’s the front view. The rear view resembles an abandoned bird’s nest swirling around the crown.
Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer
I was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer after three weeks in the hospital, not being able to eat or drink. All that time I had a nasogastric tube that caused a dry sore throat, yet I was grateful for having the tube because it eased my abdominal pain.
Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer Read More »
Nightly Words of Thanks
As a little girl, I ended every day reciting the “Now I lay me down to sleep” prayer. As a septuagenarian, I continue the nightly practice of praying—emphasizing my gratitude for all the people who have enriched my life.
Nightly Words of Thanks Read More »
An Editor’s Invitation: Gratitude
Dear Pulse readers,
November’s More Voices theme is Gratitude.
I know that many individuals have a gratitude practice, where they–and sometimes their children–take time each day to enumerate things they’re grateful for. I’m not one of those people, even though it seems like a worthy, fortifying thing to do.
An Editor’s Invitation: Gratitude Read More »
Dear Medical Student
Dear Medical Student,
I remember what it was like.
I remember what it was like the week before your clerkships begin, when you spend thirty minutes writing an email to the resident about how you’re excited to work with them, about how you’ve done cardiac stem-cell research and are interested in pursuing cardiology, and what can you do in advance, and oh, where should you meet the team on Monday morning? And they respond, “Great see you Monday 7 – Jack.”
Dear Medical Student Read More »
Asking Permission
When our children were young, my husband and I taught them about the need to ask permission before performing actions that could have consequences. As part of our strategy, we highlighted whenever a poorly thought out choice triggered a positive or negative outcome.
To my bemusement, even into their early adolescence, our kids would ask if they could have a snack or dessert or watch an extra show. I would bring great ceremony to my reply, in the hopes of perpetuating their impression that asking for permission was still necessary.
You Are Made of Grace
What beauty the world holds cupped between
light and dark,
everything mortal,
rising with the sun, the grass bright with the shine of rain.
You Are Made of Grace Read More »
