Tag: showing up
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The Wall That Isn’t There
Charlie wiped away a tear. “She kept showing up. She didn’t have to. But she did.” His first sponsor was a Black woman from Sikeston. She was the first person who ever loved him for who he was.
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With Me When It’s Scariest
I was five the first time I dialed a phone. A yellow rotary on the wall. My grandmother’s number. My dad behind me on the barstool. I’ve been dialing scary numbers ever since.
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I Knew His Face
I didn’t know his name. I knew his face. About a man at a round table, a string of numbers in blue ink, and the question I’m still asking about whether I got close enough.
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The Tomb He Owned
One man steps into the story of Jesus without introduction, almost a footnote. Joseph of Arimathea. A member of the Jewish High Council. A good man who had been quiet until one afternoon, when he wasn’t. What would I have done? What would you?
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Prepositions Matter
Most of us pray FOR and call it hope IN. We do not notice the preposition doing theological work. Until we do.
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Show Up. Stay. Risk It All.
Three ice waters. Fifteen minutes. A shaken server on the verge of tears. A nine-top that wasn’t ours. A middle table where everyone could see us. New on Five Minute Observations — a quiet essay about showing up, staying, and the risk of being kind first.
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Why I’d Be a Terrible Counselor
Speed limits. Advice that almost got me beat up. And a counselor’s chair. Three things that have nothing in common. But they do.
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Embers
I smacked Ray’s arm out of the way, waiting for him to swing back. He didn’t. His older brother held me back. Fifty minutes later I was kneeling in front of the wood stove, still burning. And the fire wasn’t mine.
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Acceptance
You either accept or quit. I had to accept I might never love again. Then I stopped fighting. This is the result.
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What If They Say Yes
Most people won’t admit they’re afraid of good news. Or that time passing terrifies them more than failure does. I’ll go first. Two overlooked fears. An ancient promise. And one question: what if they say yes?
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Noticing
The armadillo stopped you. He didn’t. You tell yourself you’ll pay attention when it matters. Then you pass a man outside the DQ and order a Blizzard. You were noticing. Just not him.
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Like Apple Jacks
Two miles today. First run since December. Hard and slow and so good! Something clicked this morning. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to get back to the thing you love, this might be it. Today was the day for me.
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A Brief Inconvenience
Is it worth it to show up? Misery loves company. We lied. We just didn’t want to be alone. Showing up depends on what you’re carrying.