Abstract and Landscape
When Thing1 was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis six years ago, his doctor told us, “This is a permanent diagnosis.” We thought we understood what that meant, but even after a year of unsuccessful treatment and the discovery that he would have to have surgery — not to cure but to manage his illness - we… Continue reading Navigating by Stars
About five years ago I was invited to lead a drawing workshop for a group of teenage boys recently arrived to this country as refugees. I had never taught anybody anything and knew nothing about classroom management. I understood the workshop would be an education for all of us, but some of the lessons of… Continue reading The First Thing
The girl had received bad news for the umpteenth time in the last few months. Her sobs of despair reverberated down the hall as she asked the powers that be, “What’s the point?” “You’re the point!“ The cosmos answered in the form of a lanky young man charged with keeping order the school. “People like… Continue reading Better than Before
I always said if any kid of mine where is the teeniest bit artistically inclined, I would encourage the heck out of that inclination. Thing2 is, and I do, but I swear that if there is a God up there, he or she has finely honed sense of humor. I was a slob as a… Continue reading Commando Parenting
It’s two day before Thing1’s graduation. I’m on hold with the pharmacy for the third time this week trying to find out what’s happened with the most expensive of his five prescriptions. The insurance company won’t approve an increased dosage. I’m scrolling through Facebook while I wait, stopping to like a friend’s post about a… Continue reading What Kind of Mother
Since he could crawl, Thing2 has been chasing after Thing1. Thing1 played in Little League. Thing2 cheered for four seasons straight, mangling his brother's name at top decibel. Thing1 started playing golf, Thing 2 held the flags. Thing1 wanted to be alone, Thing2 had to be next to him and even on him. Thing1 was… Continue reading Negotiations
It’s the week before graduation. Thing1 and the Big Guy are working together to disassemble a third-hand swing set that has become too tired and worn to allow even the cats to play on. The swing set arrived at the house when we did, when Thing1 was in first grade and Thing2 was on the… Continue reading Summer Breaks
Thing2 is sitting across the couch from me right now tapping on an old laptop my parents bequeathed him when they upgraded theirs. He’s working on a project, talking through the lines as he taps and proving I know nothing about parenting. I’ve worked in some sort of IT for the better part of the… Continue reading How to Raise a Parent
We weren’t late, but we weren’t early enough to Thing2’s band concert to have a good seat selection. The elementary school band is small, and I was surprised by the crowd. The concert program revealed that the middle and high school bands would also be performing. It’s a small school system, so I was still… Continue reading Come Together
The other Friday night, Thing2 had a school dance. Thing1 went over to SuperGal’s house for a quiet pre-prom night hang out. The Big Guy went to play music with his traditional music band at the Wayside Country Store. For a few minutes, work was finished, school was out and I was somehow alone. Then… Continue reading Strange Territory
I honestly wanted to do nothing more than absolutely nothing yesterday. Yesterday, I woke up as a square. An odd square. A product of two odd primes. It’s the fourth time I’ve been the square of primes, and, in all probability the last, as I’ll have to be 121 to celebrate the next truly odd… Continue reading A Birthday Oddity
Thing1 was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder almost 2 years ago now. We knew the diagnosis would come with big changes to his life, and this winter we really got to understand what it means to live with and care for someone with a chronic illness. We were still somewhat prepared for it. What we… Continue reading The Scattered States of Thing2
Rachel Barlow Art 