Thursday, October 24, 2013

healing threads

for three years now
we have been
stitching for others...
 
 
in beautiful happy colors
our mission is
simple
to help others
feel better
to let others know
we care
it's a simple gesture
that allows our
sarah to create
then share her talents
this week
for the first time
in more than four years
she herself
has been in the hospital
double pneumonia
last night
 at the suggestion
of a customer
i brought her a pillowcase
and a quilt
this morning as the room
became chilly
following a power outage
due to a massive
ice storm
i witnessed first
hand
what a difference
it can make
as she slept so
peacefully
the first time
in more than a week

Saturday, October 19, 2013

miracles in the clouds...

days like this
remind me
although i want...
 

to think i'm
in charge
i'm really not
 we indeed arrived in
 new orleans last night
but by four this morning
i knew sarah
was in trouble
 so we called for a taxi
 and headed back
to the airport
 for the first flight
to ohio
the taxi driver
no doubt
divinely sent
 midway through
somewhere over the midwest
it was apparent
her airway
was collapsing
 so i asked
 the flight attendant
for a small tank of oxygen
 instead
 i got multiple emt's
quickly responding
 to her plea
for help
 they were heading to a
first responders
 convention
in south bend
the one who stepped up first
a gentle giant of a man
sarah adored him
the admiration
quickly became mutual
then we landed
to see out our window
three firetrucks
 and two ambulances
 at the gate
as the doors
 of the plane flew open
chicago's finest
 dressed in blue
raced in
to scoop up my girl
 and in the process
we educated
 an entire plane
 full of strangers
who cheered, clapped
threw praises
and blessings our way
feeling very grateful
that we safely arrived home
and thankful for the
strength that
comes over me in times
like this
so sorry to have missed the
wedding
and the quilt shops
we had planned
to visit during our stay
we'll have to make
a return visit
one day soon
especially to thank
tommie walters
of baton rouge
our hero on flight 1792

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

a grateful crash

i went to
the body shop
today...
 
 
to clean out
the boy's car
as the
insurance company
 has declared
it a total loss
not surprising as
it was more
than a decade old
i started with
the center console
then the glove box
scooped up the
two soccer balls
the empty energy drink cans
before moving
to the back hatch
as i gathered
a single lose sock
my eyes welled
with tears
my heart became soft
realizing there
are parents
who would cling to
this stinky sock
as a remembrance
of a last game played
the scent of their athlete gone
they would carry
this box full of stuff
home to an
 empty bedroom
i said a little prayer
in that parking lot
feeling very grateful
for second chances
this evening

Friday, October 4, 2013

true story...

i don't believe I've ever
gotten
political on this blog...
 
here I am...stuck in the middle with you
 
...but there's a
 time for everything
and today
on the fourth day
 of the
government shut-down
of 2013
over healthcare
presumably
they've left me no choice
happy friday