When he first came to us four years ago, Lindiddy had fluffy fur and a mohawk of green on top of his head. Through the years, his fur has become mashed, the mohawk matted. His eyes are sewn in, but the eyelids are drooping. His yellow nose is crooked, like he flew into a window. He has long, orange legs that are bent at the knees and flopping wing-like arms that are too long for his body.
Read moreNew Military Widow's Words for Her Sons
Theresa has a new baby, Hunter, born in July, as well as a 6-year-old son, Anthony. Landon was supposed to be home a month ago, but his deployment was extended due to the situation in Syria. In other words, Theresa’s husband should have been home on Monday with his new son. Instead, he is dead.
Read moreAn Alzheimer's Patient's Gift to My Sons
At the end of the line was Frank, a small man permanently bent forward at his waist. He had wispy grey hairs combed over his bald, sun-spotted head. He stopped and touched my hand. “Will you have dinner with us?” he said quietly. “There’s room at our table.” Anita — the taller, straighter woman beside Frank, who was clutching his elbow for support — smiled at me and said, “We’ll do some sorting. Would you like that? We can sort things together.”
Before I could say anything, Owen shrugged his shoulders and said, “Sure, what’s for dinner?”
Read moreRite of Passage: The Last Year of Little League
By the second year of Little League, Ford had grown an inch or two, but he was still the smallest on the team. Our league keeps players together and with the same coach for all four years, so Ford’s teammates — the older ones, especially — were like mentors for him. The experience of Little League was as much about the game as it was time in the dugout.
Read moreChanging Gender Roles Mean New Sacrifices for Military Fathers
The military is the last American institution to follow societal trends. If my husband was at sea when I went into labor, he would stay there. I fretted over this until the day I went to the hospital and was positive my husband would be with me. He left two weeks later and missed most of our son’s first year, but at least I didn’t need a telegram to tell him he had a son named Ford.
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