Kids

Our Daughters: Corner Pillars or Shapely Wildflowers?

by Shawn May 12, 2012
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My daughter Lucy pulls herself up into the top bunk in the hallway of the bus and pulls the shade. Later, I peek my face in and ask her what she’s up to. But at first she doesn’t hear me – her face is intent on her next drawing. In the corner of her bunk [...]

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The Redwoods Asked Me, “What If Your ‘Today’ Must Die?”

by Shawn May 9, 2012
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The Redwood trees stood massive and solemn, some close to 300 feet tall, some over 500 years old. I felt small and insignificant under their kind shadows. Like an ant. Or a long-forgotten worry. They once stood silently while the first Europeans docked their ships and slid small boats up on to the sand of [...]

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What to do When Your Children Throw Their Shoes at Strangers

by Shawn April 11, 2012

Then it comes time to look first for respite, especially after long days on the road. We walk into these plastic palaces, their AC blasting, their primary colors tearing holes in my retinas. The cool air instantly chills my skin’s thin layer of sweat and grime. We herd the children to the playground in the [...]

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Sam’s Take on Atlanta

by Shawn March 25, 2012
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Saturday night we cruised north on I-75. The highway was a sea of red, and rain streaked the brake lights across the bus’s massive windshield in arcs and splashes. But the traffic charged forward, sweeping us along with it. In the distance, the lights of Atlanta’s skyscrapers rose above the trees like the center of [...]

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The Man Who Kept the World at Bay

by Shawn March 23, 2012
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The small boy (me) stretches out on a worn sofa next to the man (my dad). He is watching television. The man wraps his arm around the skinny boy, protecting him from the world. In response, the boy asks the man a lot of questions, drowning out the evening news, but the man never shushes [...]

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Mama For a Moment

by Shawn March 22, 2012
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Today’s guest post (minus the lengthy intro) comes to you from the always transparent Tamara Out Loud. Maile and I had the privilege of meeting her and her family a few weeks ago while traveling through Gainesville, Florida, and she’s just as kind and fun in person as she is in her writing. If you’ve [...]

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When a Woman Isn’t Allowed to Run the Race

by Shawn March 21, 2012
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My friend (and blog designer extraordinaire) Jason McCarty posted this picture on his Facebook page a few days ago, and something about it caught my attention. What’s up with the dude in the suit accosting that innocent woman trying to run a race? I had to read the caption. It turns out Kathrine Switzer became [...]

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