Why do people hurt the ones they love? After 31 years in the Human Services field, I am no closer to the answer than I was when I started. The speculation differs from person to person based on the narrative in their head. From working in both Mississippi and Alabama, I have heard all of … Continue reading The Sins of the Father
One Starfish at a Time
Beverly was only hours old when her mother plodded into the emergency room: sick, tired and covered in sweat. Like a cobbled horse, she limped towards the triage nurse whose eyes were focused on the clipboard in her hands. "Please" The whisper, fierce with pain, caught the nurse's attention. Nurse Anna put down the clipboard … Continue reading One Starfish at a Time
Ole Fish Eyes
When I was 15 and 16, my family lived on the Bayou in Lacombe, Louisiana, across the lake from New Orleans. Besides my human family we had a Irish Setter named Hot Dog (my little brother named him) and two ducks: Fritz and Grits (my dad named them). Living on the water was fun, especially … Continue reading Ole Fish Eyes
Losing my Sister
The Isle of Capri sits off the coast of Italy, about ankle high to the big boot. The Island is located in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples. When we visited, my family had to take a hydrafoil to get there. It is only 4 … Continue reading Losing my Sister
Forming a Tribe
A lesson I learned over 30 years ago still rings true today. We need to belong. We need a tribe. We need others to help us get through the hard things in life. We were not meant to struggle alone. High School is hard. Belonging to a tribe helps us to navigate through, not only … Continue reading Forming a Tribe
Bethioua and the Ugly American
When I was 18 years old I spent the second of two summers in Bethioua, Algeria with my parents. The first summer I enjoyed immensely, but my newly found independence (being 18 and all) coupled with my false sense of entitlement contributed to the disaster that was my second summer. In Bethioua, my parents lived … Continue reading Bethioua and the Ugly American
The Parable
Becoming a social worker was not the plan I had for my life. As I have often said, I backed into the career totally blind to the mission of Child Welfare. I might not have ever found my calling had not DHS been the only agency hiring. Graduating college as an English major, my choices … Continue reading The Parable
Finding your courage
What are you afraid of? What are your nightmares made of? I have the normal garden variety fears...snakes, spiders, tornados...King Kong (Dont judge me, he was very scary!). But one of my biggest fears involves an insect. The giant grasshopper. I remember one summer vividly, the horrifying images etched into my brain. My family had … Continue reading Finding your courage
Surviving the Tornado
The Tornado Hits Moody, Al. It was April 27, 2011. The meteorologists had been predicting an afternoon full of dangerous weather. We were repeatedly warned of a significant tornado outbreak. Having never been a fan of bad weather, I decided to monitor the situation very closely starting at noon. So as I went to bed … Continue reading Surviving the Tornado
READY…AIM…FIRE!
I am not a hunter. I do, however, have a vivid memory of my dad taking me with him into the woods to hunt one day. Now, anyone who knew my dad is scratching his/her head now because my dad also wasn't a hunter. He tried his hand at hunting a few times..after all we … Continue reading READY…AIM…FIRE!
Water for Camels 