August 10th, 2008
I am standing at the doorway of my parents’ house, next to my mother, with my daughter in my arms, and my son at my side.
The car pulls away, taking with it my brother, his wife, my nephew and my twin nieces.
In my peripheral view, I see my mother’s head droop. I look at her and notice her lips tighten and her eyes begin to overflow.
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July 17th, 2008
We are at a beach in China Camp. It is nine in the morning, pleasantly warm, but overcast. My seventeen-month old daughter wobble-walks solo in the rocky sand. My nearly six-year old son is next to me on the beach as we make our way to the lapping waves.
My oldest child fires off a string of questions. “Mama, can I go into the water? Can I swim? Do I need to wear shoes? Mama, are there sharks here?”
He holds my hand until he sees things at his feet that interest him. Suddenly, he stoops to gather special stones and sea glass from the beach, and carefully places these treasures into his bucket.
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