Category Archives: the nieces and nephews

Dear Andy

Last Wednesday Christie called me to tell me that Andy was failing. In another world, a world without COVID, that would have been the point where I dropped what I was doing, went home and grabbed the bag that has … Continue reading

Posted in The language of families, the nieces and nephews | 6 Comments

Three Views

On Wednesday my nephew began to exhibit signs of a stroke. Decreased mobility on his right side, inability to remember things. I’ve been thinking about what I looked like that day and trying to reconcile. You see, if you were … Continue reading

Posted in The language of families, the nieces and nephews | 5 Comments

Mr Rogers

Dear Ben: I will make this apology to you on Sunday night, when I continue reading the adventures of Bad Kitty. It will happen right after I read to your sister from Anne of Green Gables. I will apologize, and … Continue reading

Posted in The Cheerful Agnostic, The language of families, the nieces and nephews | 1 Comment

140 KM an Hour with Tears in my Eyes

I have struggled with how to start this. The lab results they handed to me. The sinking feeling. When I thought my knees might buckle. I could start with the scene in the kitchen – the part where Christie looked … Continue reading

Posted in The language of families, the nieces and nephews | 6 Comments

You Can Have Me

In the middle of contract negotiations last February, I got a call. The people in the room were asking me a question. I pointed at my phone, sort of shrugged and walked out into the break out room. . My … Continue reading

Posted in The language of families, the nieces and nephews | 7 Comments

Return to Sender

I thought it was the window cat bed. Which I ordered. Because it was $17 on Amazon and maybe it would keep the cat off the chair. Nash likes sitting there because he can watch the birds. I came home … Continue reading

Posted in The language of families, the nieces and nephews | 5 Comments

A Cup of Kindness, yet.

I polished the silver salt and pepper shakers until they shone. Carefully washed the kindness cup. Pulled out the good notepaper and a wrote a note. I explained that the salt and pepper shakers belonged to my grandmother, they had seen … Continue reading

Posted in the nieces and nephews | 4 Comments

Magic

She sat on the chair in her grad student apartment and she told me about the lecture on Marx and laws she was going to give. I took a picture, although she doesn’t realize it. I was struck by magic … Continue reading

Posted in Feats of Wonder, Life After Children, the nieces and nephews | 2 Comments

Taller than I

I took my niece to the 100th anniversary of universal suffrage at the Alberta legislature, and as I stood behind her, with my hands on her shoulders, I joked that I needed to weigh her down. By this time next … Continue reading

Posted in Gabriel, Gardening, The language of families, the nieces and nephews, Tiny Points of Light | 3 Comments

On the Whole of It

There were a number of things that irritated me about this election. Mostly it was how “unCanadian” I perceived it to be. Calling it early and campaigning forever and ever*, it seemed nasty and mean spirited and an attempted triumph … Continue reading

Posted in Politics, the nieces and nephews | Leave a comment