Life Stories.
Real Experience.
First-person narratives based on real human experiences. The moments that change us. The relationships that define us. The lessons we carry forward.
The Pies They Banned From the Cookout
“Don’t bring your dry old pies this year, Lorene. I ordered real desserts from a real bakery.” My daughter in law Meredith said that to... Read more
The Fireworks That Brought Us Back
For three years I stood alone in my own backyard on the Fourth of July, lighting the exact same fireworks my son Kevin and I... Read more
The Flag I Fold Every Fourth
Every Fourth of July for fifty years I have folded one flag alone on my back porch, and until this year not one soul in... Read more
The Fourth They Let Me Belong
Gail Stroud stood up on the courthouse steps with a paper plate in her hand and told the whole square that a certificate does not... Read more
The Flag His Nephew Tried to Claim
Tomas stood up in the middle of my husband’s funeral, straightened his jacket, and said loud enough for the whole church to hear, “She was... Read more
The Woman Who Was Really In It
Hollis Deemer waited until the whole room was quiet, then pointed his beer at me and said, “Renata here was never really in it. You... Read more
The Grandson I Raised Alone
The man in the good gray suit stood up in the third row and said, loud enough for the whole gymnasium to hear, “That’s my... Read more
The Contractor Who Took The Deposit
Chad Rensler stood in my half-poured driveway, folded my deposit check into his shirt pocket, and told me that if I did not like how... Read more
The Deed My Brother Forged
Three days after we buried our father, my brother Dwight slid a folded deed across the kitchen table, told me the whole place was his... Read more
The Deacon They Wrongly Accused
Wendell Pyle stood up in the middle of the fellowship hall, pointed one finger down the length of the table at me, and said, “The... Read more
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