A Wheelchair View

This is one of my favorite portraits of my son Jesse, and believe it or not it was taken with a Kodak point and shoot. I used to carry that Kodak Z740 everywhere and made quite a pest of myself on my college campus, before upgrading to a Nikon D50. Then I continued my photographical reign of terror with a zoom lens and a safer distance. = ) Today is my son’s birthday. He turned 24. He lives with his fiancé and his son in my home town where I am going to be moving in the next month or two and I am looking forward to more family time with them. I remember the day he was born so well. My ex husband and his mom went into the labor room with me and I was experiencing more pain than I have in my entire life. Despite that, like they say, you forget all about it when you are holding that little baby in your arms. Childbirth is a great testimony to the power of love and joy that washes over your traumatized worn out body, and fills it full of peace and hope for the little future you hold in y...

Two Windows Through two windows of this little pink house shined a light that once only burned for him But past the pain, past the tears past regret of wasted years Her light begins to shine once again Only this time it’s for herself

"If my glass looks half empty, it is only because I've been blessed with the opportunity to share half of its contents with someone who was thirsty." Maria R. Palacios  When I was first married to my husband we moved to an apartment complex where I met two women who changed my life completely. We were all three survivors of abuse of various degrees. One of us was molested and controlled; one of us was brutally raped at gunpoint, and the other abused, neglected, and was forced to live with the man, whom she is certain killed her mother. Not only were the three of us survivors but we all used creative writing to cope and to work through the healing process. Our real healing didn’t really begin individually until we joined together and became friends. Together we supported each other; we drank coffee, buried ourselves in self-help and psychology books and shared our poetic journals. I gained strength that I never knew I could have again and while my experiences will always b...

Jesi's Ghost - By Etha Walters Winston Churchill said “When you are going through hell, keep going.” He said this with the certainty that if we did keep going, we would come out on the other side. However, that doesn’t mean that we will come out unscathed or not have to shed a few layers, to leave part of ourselves behind. Life is a series of deaths and rebirths. It’s no wonder that religious foundations are built on concepts like reincarnation and being “born again.” No one that I know understands this better than my friend Jesi pictured above. Inspiration for “Jesi’s Ghost” came from her life and the times she has walked through hell. Her mother was murdered when she was young, she was a victim of abuse and neglect, the father of her oldest child committed suicide and still Jesi kept going. If I could alter Webster’s I would put Jesi’s picture beside resilience. Living through one thing would be horrific enough but Jesi has kept going grabbing the wisdom that comes from the...