Popular posts from this blog
First & From Without
"Is she in there?" "I think so. Should we knock?" This was part of the conversation from my fellow teachers outside my classroom door the morning I returned to work, two months after the birth of my first child. My locked classroom door. I managed to get into the building with no contact with others, cover my window on my door, and lock myself in for a good cry. I did not take separation from my baby very well. I called my husband and told him I just couldn't stay. He called the personnel office and asked about my leave options. Then, he called Mama. "I know it's hard, Joey, but you have to let her face this; she just has to do it." Later, when I talked to Mama, she told me how she felt when she took me to my first day of school. She said leaving me at that poor, old south Louisiana school building was one of the hardest things she ever did. ...
An Anniversary
September 16, 2004 began as a typical morning. Emmeline and I went for a walk and then she settled down for her morning nap while I worked on laundry. I decided to call Mama; we usually talked to each other every day. Since Emmeline was born nine months earlier, our conversations had grown to several times a day, as I called her to share Emmeline's latest "firsts." She had called a little more than normal to check on me. A month earlier I had my first severe reflux incident. I was eating lunch when I experienced the normal discomfort, but this time, it got worse and it was as if my windpipe was closed and I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was choking, but I could talk, so I knew that I wasn't. I was alone with Emmeline, so I quickly snatched her out of the high chair and put her in her crib. I worried about what I would do if this did not pass quickly and I stopped breathing. ...

Comments
Post a Comment
Your comments are welcome!