Behold the first moments of the life of my grandson, Jameson Walker. April 10, 2015. I was there. I took this picture. It remains one of the most prominent and precious moments of my life and, arguably, his. My own children were born via C-Section, but had they been born naturally without intervention by the medical team, I would not[…]
On Saving Things…
My Mother passed away in July 29, 2018 and Daddy left us June 1, 2020. They left the family home to my little brother, Kevin. As Kevin, my sister Amy, and I were engaged in the awful chore of going through my parents personal effects and household items, Kevin asked, “Do either of you want Mom’s china.” There was a[…]
On Certainty…
I came across this quote this morning while researching for my final project in Philosophy class. It really spoke to me. It wasn’t helpful for my project but was an “aha moment” for me. I’ve been in a serious funk lately (like almost everyone else on the planet) and I realize now that uncertainty is the cause. I’m having the[…]
In Memoriam
The handsome man in the picture is my Daddy, Carl Francis White. He is credited for the title of this blog page, as it was a sentiment he used on me often whenever things turned bad. “They can’t eat ya,” he would shrug. Daddy passed away June 1, 2020. He was 80 years old. I had the honor of writing[…]
On Opinions…
Everyone has their own opinions on the state of our world right now. In Oklahoma, our governor has decided to start “reopening the state” this week. There are varying opinions about this from “Oh, thank God,” to “WTF?? Is he crazy?” The key players in our state’s government cannot even agree on the right thing to do. Is it too[…]
On Surprises…
I am reading The Book of Awakening, Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have, by Mark Nepo. (This is a wonderful, non-denominational daily devotional). The devotional for April 21 is The Gift of Surprise. One of the things I know about myself is that I love surprises, I just want to know about them[…]
On a very different St. Patrick’s Day.
March 17, 2020 looks very different than March 17, 2019. A year ago, I was sharing interesting Irish facts on social media and looking forward to tipping back a few pints of Guinness in celebration of my people. Who would have believed a year later, I would be embracing sobriety and all St. Patrick’s Day celebrations would be canceled? Had[…]
On Art and Its Beholder
January 1, 2020, I didn’t take my walk before sunrise. I had a third cup of coffee and took it later, after the sun had risen. I also decided to take a different route. It amazes me sometimes to see things during the daylight that I don’t see predawn. But this would be an new route altogether. The morning sky[…]
On Simple Love
Last night I dreamed about my mother. She was tiny and frail, and I was caring for her, like we did in those last days. It was just her and me, together. No one else. She needed to go to the bathroom, so I carried her in. This is something I never would have attempted alone in real life for[…]
On Being Realistic
Telling a child to be realistic is a cruel but passive form of child abuse. There, I said it. It’s true. There were never more hateful, bitter, dream killer words uttered, generation after generation. The cycle must stop. A child comes into this world without any awareness of his limitations. He is a clean slate of possibilities. His parents ask[…]