longing – Fireflies and Daffodils

Finding Our Way

Danith and I have known each other for over thirty years, but we are in possession of only one photograph of us together in our much younger years. In it, I am still in high school. We are fishing from a pier at night, sitting on a concrete wall, either of us grasping a rod,Continue reading “Finding Our Way”

This I Believe

This I believe: I am my daughter’s mother. I’ve always recognized that I live a much easier life than many. My native country endured a civil war, I was born amidst it, but I didn’t suffer through it. Instead, my existence—my incessant crying and hunger pangs—put others around me at risk. Still, I didn’t showContinue reading “This I Believe”

Taking Them With Me

The night before I was to deliver our daughter, Danith turned to me in bed and said that he would be sure to take pictures of her for me. I said that I would rather he didn’t. He said that one day I would want pictures. I rested my hands on my belly that hadContinue reading “Taking Them With Me”

Going Back To See My Son

I wanted to show our students Akeelah and the Bee, so a coworker loaned me her copy of the movie. I am preparing for today’s class by testing out the DVD to make sure it will play without a hitch later. My fingernail pushes into the small rectangular button located on the side of myContinue reading “Going Back To See My Son”

My Babies Are Enough

The girls from the high school track team are sitting at their own round tables, separated from their parents. I am sitting at a table with some of their parents. The party favors that I had tied up with navy blue and gold ribbons help to add some color, but other than them, the white linen-tablesContinue reading “My Babies Are Enough”