It was midnight, a week before Christmas, and Shya and I had just landed at the Portland International Airport in Portland, Oregon. After disembarking we headed down the escalator to baggage claim. We were bleary after a longer than expected trip across the country, but...
I hear Baby churr in greeting as she jumps upon my desk. Pushing away from my keyboard I position my chair to provide easy access to my lap. Stretching forth, she kneads the armrest first before lightly stepping down. Gently I open my desk drawer...
I hadn’t been feeling well for some time. I was exhausted, sleep did not recharge my batteries and work had become almost impossible. Then, in June, I was diagnosed with Waldenström macroglobulinemia, a rare type of blood cancer, named after the Swedish scientist Jan Gösta...
Our cat Baby shed one of her whiskers. There it was, a gentle arc, next to her on the office chair, keeping her company as she slept. Reverently I used two fingers to grasp it, marveling at its color and texture. Dark at the root,...
If you were caring for a young, vulnerable child and every day you told her or him that she or he was stupid, and every day was filled with judgments, berating, and chastisement, do you think she or he would flourish? Do you think that...
We were with some friends recently when Nuka, their dog, watched as a daddy long legs spider crossed his path. Nuka simply looked at the spider with mild curiosity until it crawled upon his paw. Then he snapped at it, but the movement was largely...
“They danced so hard they shook the trees, And others came to watch and see!” Far & Near by Shea Bartel My friend Shea is an incredibly talented artist. His colorful, imaginative and whimsical sense of expression emerged in a children’s book called Far & Near in 2020....
Many people find themselves navigating the challenge of having aging parents. It’s tough to witness a loved one’s frailty, particularly when he or she has dementia. When speaking with those who are struggling with their parent’s decline, I have come to suggest treasuring the gems...
Do you ever want to just get away from your noisy world, curl up and have some quiet time? Baby does. When things get to be too much, or when an occasional visitor brings a dog, we have found baby deep in our closet, nestled...
I took Ariel and Shya to Newark Airport one morning so they could catch a flight. On our way there, Ariel was sitting in the front seat of my Prius and Shya was sitting in the back. Suddenly I heard Shya’s voice from over my...