Uncategorized – Ziggityblog

Etched In Stone

On 8/8/88 I was 13 years old, and I went to my weekly tennis lesson on one of the hottest days of the year. When I came home, my mom sat me down to let me know that my grandma had taken her sister, Margaret, to lunch to celebrate Margaret’s birthday. On the drive home,Continue reading “Etched In Stone”

You Can’t Make Dead People Happy!

Here we are, it’s September. I’m staring down the barrel of my sister’s death anniversary (also known as my birthday) next month. It will be eleven years. Eleven entire years without her humor, her guidance, her bossiness, her making me double over with laughter, unable to breathe; eleven years without knowing her opinions. We hadContinue reading “You Can’t Make Dead People Happy!”

Tales From The Cemetery

(A Feel-Good Story, I Promise!) For three years now I’ve gone running at the local cemetery. It started when my gym shut down because of Covid, and I couldn’t think of anywhere else to go. I’m so glad I chose to run at the cemetery. There are lessons of love, kindness, respect, dedication, and friendshipContinue reading “Tales From The Cemetery”

October

It’s October again. My old friend(?) Grief has come back for a visit. Grief shows up with a box of memories, and plays them to me like videos to remind me of her laugh, her bossiness, her toughness, even her illness, even her pain. Grief asks “Shall I show you more?” And the technicolor moviesContinue reading “October”

Defiant and Unruly

Today when we arrived to see the George Floyd memorial, my 11 year old son emerged from the car wearing no shoes. “Put your shoes on,” I said. I was annoyed as my unruly and defiant child looked me square in the face, determined set to his jaw, and said, “No!” I sighed. I knewContinue reading “Defiant and Unruly”

A Lesson I Have To Keep Learning

I took the month of July off from running, and exercise of any kind. I had a lot going on so I focused on other things. Instead of running, I trained for the Olympic Junk-Food Eating Team and spent way too much time on the couch. I should know myself better than this by now.Continue reading “A Lesson I Have To Keep Learning”

A Gift

I have an Instagram account, and a Facebook account, and, man, I really love social media. I think it’s the “look at me! look at me!” youngest child syndrome. I’m an extrovert who is EXTRA (according to my nephew). I generally post positive things, like beautiful things I see in nature, and smiling selfies: lotsContinue reading “A Gift”

A Story About Some Rum, Chocolate, and Cold Medicine

Yesterday I went to the grocery store to do my weekly procurement of $500,000 worth of groceries. 75% of the kids who live in this house are now the size of adults, but they are also more hungry than regular adults. Therefore, to say they eat a lot of food is not just an understatement,Continue reading “A Story About Some Rum, Chocolate, and Cold Medicine”

How do you handle it when someone hurts you?

We have all been there. An offhand remark that stings, a comment said about us behind our backs, or a biting jab right to our face. I am almost always caught off-guard. I feel shocked at first, but the shock quickly turns to pain. I’ll admit, my first instinct is to say something hurtful rightContinue reading “How do you handle it when someone hurts you?”

The Tonsillectomy

After six visits to the doctor in three months because of recurrent throat infections, Dr. O’Neil stared into my throat, wooden tongue depressor depressed, and announced to my mom, “That’s it. She needs her tonsils out.” I sat on the crinkly-white-paper covered table and tried to hide my excitement. I knew this was the typeContinue reading “The Tonsillectomy”