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For Wilshire Baptist Church

I’ve been dreaming regularly about my father. Ever since his passing in July, he’s been a frequent character in the overnight movies that play in my head. He hasn’t been the lead, and in fact he hasn’t had a speaking part at all, but he’s been there on the screen. If the dream includes a car ride, he’s been in the car. Or a meal around the table? Yep, sitting there too. Even in some of the weird, twisted tales that play at my midnight cinema, I can look across a scene and he’ll be there – just quietly being himself.

Continue reading “For All the Saints”

For Wilshire Baptist Church

A large, long-haired white cat has taken to lounging in our back yard. We see her on the patio, on the walk, in the flower beds, drinking from the birdbath. She moves slowly and gingerly – as if she’s stalking some unseen prey, or maybe she has arthritis or some other ailment. Whatever, we’re OK with her hanging out but we won’t feed her because, frankly, we don’t want to become the feral cat headquarters of our Embree neighborhood.

Continue reading “Imagination on the Prowl”

For Wilshire Baptist Church

“Let your pain be your guide.”

Those were the last instructions my orthopedic surgeon gave me before releasing me from his care in August. Six months earlier he had chiseled away a bone spur inside my shoulder joint and stitched up the rotator tendon that the spur had torn. Surgery was followed by 17 weeks of physical therapy to stretch me from no movement at all to complete range of motion. The therapy sessions ended somewhat artificially because insurance coverage played out, but my surgeon declared me ready to get on with life with that one proviso: “Let your pain be your guide.” 

Continue reading “Keep Stretching”