meaning making
On my visit to Panamá last year, I got video of Mom hanging out with me while I ate lunch at the house. In this clip, Mom shows me her burping technique when I was a baby. She explains how she wanted to have more children, at least one more, but the doctor warned about… Continue reading A Mother’s Love – a Tidbit
How to receive a random act of kindness.
It seems I mark the eras of my life not so much by the years, but by the canine companions I shared time with.
In a couple days, it will be 19 years since Erin and I went on our first date - a Saturday matinee of The Bourne Identity. And 5 years since our hastily-planned state-sanctioned marriage on the south lawn of the Texas Capitol. In the EARLY morning, before heat. On a Wednesday. And with the sprinklers… Continue reading Love is Love – #PaulandErinTLA
Awwww...remembering Ronin, our beloved Great Dane. It’s been about 5 years since we said goodbye to him. But we remember him frequently, through stories told, and random reminders of him and his gentle spirit. Being a dog-lover is a double-edged sword. By definition, their lifespans are shorter than humans so experiencing the pain of their… Continue reading Learning from Dogs
This is Erin with Ronin, our beloved Great Dane who is gone but never forgotten. About 2012. His mouth was big enough to get around a volleyball. We let him keep the ball as a toy. It was a prized possession and Ronin treated it gingerly (our current pack would have ripped it to shreds).… Continue reading Ronin and the Volley of the Dolls
My grandmother, Brigida Adamas Rosas de Quintero, with Mom and Uncle Lucho. In mid-1930s Panama City, República de Panamá. The family lived for awhile on Avenida Central. Brigida was a matriarch, a strong-willed woman from Tolé - in Panama's highland province of Chiriquí (i.e., the boonies). She was from a poor peasant family. Her biological… Continue reading Brigida’s Love Story
How I found hope over lunch in Panama.
Tomorrow will be 14 years since Erin and I met on a first date. A kite flies best when someone keeps it anchored against the air currents. Let go of the tether, and a kite flutters away and drifts to the ground. I'm the kite dancing with wind, stretching high. Erin is the boy holding… Continue reading Kite Flying as Metaphor
Mom is in good shape! She's 83 now. And look at who is peeking out between us - the Virgin Mary. A couple days ago Mom sat at the dinner table with me, keeping me company while I ate a sandwich. She started crying. "Momi, why are you crying?" I asked. "I still remember you… Continue reading A Mother’s Love