Tag: family
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One Page Turned Into a Week of Saying ‘I Like You’
1980s. New kid. A girlfriend with a binder full of hearts, a Mormon friend, a Coke machine full of Pepsi, and one simple request: write me a real note. I should have known better than to start.
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Saying Goodbye. Saying Yes.
A Sunday drive. One last goodbye before leaving for Michigan. Turns out a grandbaby has more pull than the Pacific.
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Knowing It Will
“You blow it and watch it drift, hoping it doesn’t pop. But you watch anyway, knowing it will.” Some moments you hold on to.
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The Teeter-Totter
Most days we find our rhythm. But the other day? Both of us were down. At the same time. The key is balance.
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Christmas Number Five
Before I turned six, Christmas meant joy. Now it’s a reminder of what’s missing. This year something’s shifting, and I’m more than ready to experience this season differently.
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Liquid Rocket Fuel
⚽ Twelve 8-year-olds + 200mg of caffeine + one mortified coach = the best bar story you’ll hear today. Trust us, you want to hear how this ends.
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Three States, One Car, Zero Plan
By Joe Class III Picture this: It’s past midnight in Dublin, California. I’m eighteen years old, driving in circles like a lost tourist. Except I’m not—I’m basically homeless, living out of my four-door brown Datsun with a souped-up 280Z four-speed manual transmission. Terrible life choices, I know. Less than two weeks earlier, I’d blown up…
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Rule One: Know What You’re Walking Into
Evening at Gemini’s, the hanging filament bulbs give an amber glow to the inside of the bar. Low-level laughter and conversation echoed through the establishment. A platinum-blonde strolled in. Not a care in the world, she popped her gum, sounding like the poppers adolescent boys threw at each other on the 4th of July. Tossing…
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Truth Wears the Crown: Why Integrity Matters
No sugarcoating. No fibs. Not even the little ones grown-ups call ‘harmless.’ Tiny little Anya, four years old, wild blonde curls dancing in the sunlight when she ran. When adults looked her in the eye, they could see something missing in most people – honest, heartfelt emotions. At Happy Trails Daycare, Anya’s preschool, all the…
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Truth Is Always Stranger than Fiction
A late-night traffic stop becomes a reminder: storytelling connects us, grounds us, and makes us known. In a world of strangers, our stories are how we find our way home.
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Mrs. Henke’s English Class
A sunset sky. The reddish tint discolors a few bodies intertwined on the dance floor. One bright overhead light moves over each couple, some dancing while others lock lips. The soft music plays while everyone sways in time to Crazy for You, by Madonna. Late into the evening, these teens are getting tired from all…
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Soap Bubbles with Strings
Kids love bubbles. Big or small. Doesn’t matter. All kiddos love delicate, intricately-shaped, thin soap bubbles. As simple as it is to create bubbles, some of us are much more adept at getting the soap-to-water ratio just right, creating the perfect formula for long-lasting bubbles. Picture this: kids of all ages playing with soap bubbles…
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Cheetos Trucks Infestation
“I don’t go out much anymore, Will. The Cheetos trucks I told you about? They are coming more frequently.” Jerry crushed his cigarette in the overfull ashtray after taking one more drag. “Bringing in more and more of those . . . I’m not sure what you call ‘em, Will.” Staring into space, he stopped…
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Jerry’s Used Car Lot
“All you need is a few more dollars, and I will put you in that car myself.” His smile showed off his dingy, yellowing teeth. Jerry Brooks chewed on the end of his cheap cigar, the ones he bought from Plaid Pantry a few doors down from the dealership. He looked like you would imagine…
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Senior Skip Day
High school is where teenagers get to learn what life is like. You’ve got all the makings of a John Hughes movie. Every cliché. All the stereotypes. Kids who enjoy smoking marijuana. Bookworms, nerds, and geeks who love playing Dungeons and Dragons, video games, and reading about fantasy worlds, the likes of which J.R.R. Tolkien…
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“My truck’s gone.”
“What do you mean?” His tone was less than friendly, which was saying something. He chewed on the end of an unlit cigar. “You are telling me someone got away with your truck?” Snapping his fingers, “Just like that? Please, for the love of all that is holy, tell me you are kidding?” “Um, yeah.…
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“ALL ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC IS SATANIC!”
“ALL ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC IS SATANIC!” Me and my friends laughed at him. Well, they did. I was a bit too scared to laugh, as my Dad was a local Southern Baptist church pastor. But in Dublin, California, we didn’t call it Southern Baptist. We moved from Arkansas in the spring of 1980. My…
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Any Other Holiday
DISCLAIMER: If there is something I will NOT do, it’s give anyone credit for the physical and emotional trauma they caused me. Therefore, you will not hear me name my biological mother for that reason. Like J.K. Rowling says in Harry Potter, the name only has power if you give it the power. So, if…
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Amber’s Observation (Sisters – Part III)
“And how do you know that?” Amber asked. “Do you have a picture?” “No. But Bud’s not a cowboy, farmer, or rancher,” she said, putting a finger down for each one of the things Amy liked that Jamie didn’t. “He didn’t wear cowboy boots.” Another finger down. “Bud didn’t own a massive rodeo belt buckle.”…