Boring

By Joseph J. Mazzella on April 30, 2020 / 3,262 views

I was lying in bed yesterday afternoon after a big dinner. The television had nothing on that interested me. The book I was trying to read seemed boring too. Finally I put the book on my chest, closed my eyes, and let myself drift off to sleep. Suddenly, I felt a huge, wet, tongue lick my chin, lips, and nose in one giant slurp. My eyes popped open and I saw our big, white dog, Fluffy standing there looking at...

No Time

By Anjali on April 30, 2020 / 4,485 views

By Anjali on April 30, 2020 / 4,485 views

With a broad smile on her lips, fifteen years old Sirin twisted her feet, waved her hand in dance pose, twirled with joy to show off her new painting to her mom. When she rushed to her mom, her mom raised her eyebrows with eyes wide open, spoke in a hushed tone, 'Shh…honey.. don't shout. Right now I am busy with an important talk. I will see it. Just wait for some time,...

Utopia!

By Anjali on April 29, 2020 / 2,625 views

Once I wrote few words in Internet forum…. ‘I was overwhelmed with joy when I called people across the world to make friendship. And I got a huge response. We joined, talked, gossiped, and then took an oath that we would change the world! We were connected so fast without having any land or air tickets. We became closer and closer. Slowly but steadily we made a group of young adults,...

The Precious Gift

By Lettie on April 22, 2020 / 4,604 views

When I was in my 30's and newly married, I followed my husband to his native Japan. His mother lived in a small town where a son bringing home his American wife was unheard of. Japanese households were (in)famous for their myriad of rules. Not only what slippers were for which room - and in which rooms none were allowed - but also, at mealtime what foods to eat and in which order. But my elderly...

Growing Younger

By Joseph J. Mazzella on April 20, 2020 / 3,932 views

I was about to shave this morning when I caught my reflection in the mirror. There was no doubt about it. My body was growing older. My formerly thick hair which used to be brown with a touch of gray was now gray with a touch of brown. It was hard to see on top too with so little of it left there. My forehead wrinkles had become permanent and when I smiled a hundred more curled up around my eyes and mouth. I...

Covid19 Is The Best Thing That Has Ever Happened To Me

By A Friend on April 16, 2020 / 3,747 views

Not sure this is the right place but I lost my job due to the lockdown. Because of that I've been online searching for jobs. Today I got a callback for my dream job as a park ranger and I landed it!!! I seriously cant stop screaming and dancing. I get to bring my dog to stay on site. I dont have to pay rent. I will be outside 100% of the time. F***. I'm so incredibly happy. Thank...

A Teacher Parade

By A Friend on April 13, 2020 / 2,982 views

For background both of my parents are teachers, and with everything going on they haven’t been in school and have been doing all teaching virtually. Now my father teaches in one of the middle schools in the town we live in, he’s been a teacher there for over 20 years since before I was even fully a thought. Everyone is having a hard time lately and understandably. Things are scary and...

Thank You

By A Friend on April 13, 2020 / 3,496 views

I’m a paramedic. Today, my partner for today and I were in the ambulance waiting for the lights to go green, and I look to my left. There stood a woman in her early 60s, waving at us with a big grin on her face. We both waved back and smiled. She then blew a kiss and mouthed “thank you”. I blew a kiss back and put the window down and said “you’re most welcome”. It...

My Dad Never Met A Stranger

By Ms Molly on April 06, 2020 / 4,884 views

My Dad was one who never knew a stranger, he was a farmer in the Midwest and he spent his winters selling insurance and commodities. Daddy could really talk up anyone and his favorite thing to do was find out their income. Once we were at Chicago's O'Hare airport. This was when you could still be escorted back to your gate. Daddy was siting with me as I waited for my flight to Fort Lauderdale. A...

Food Pantry Had To Close...

By A Friend on April 04, 2020 / 3,389 views

By A Friend on April 04, 2020 / 3,389 views

My church’s food pantry had to close. So my sister picked up all the food, sanitized everything, and created bags of food for all the elderly members of the church who relied on the food pantry. She drove to their homes and left the food at their doors. She did all this after working all...

Good Timber

By Douglas Malloch on April 03, 2020 / 4,812 views

By Douglas Malloch on April 03, 2020 / 4,812 views

The tree that never had to fight For sun and sky and air and light, But stood out in the open plain And always got its share of rain, Never became a forest king But lived and died a scrubby thing. The man who never had to toil To gain and farm his patch of soil, Who never had to win his share Of sun and sky and light and air,...

I'm A Grown Woman, And It Still Feels Good To Make My Momma Proud

By A Friend on April 03, 2020 / 2,759 views

I run a number of youth-serving centers in the northeast USA. Amidst the pandemic, I have been charged with providing child care to the children of hospital workers who are pulling long shifts to keep up with demand. Today, after more strict orders from our governor regarding closure of businesses, my mom asked if I would be closing. I told her no (we have special permission to stay open)...

A Stranger Helping A Stranger

By A Friend on April 01, 2020 / 4,363 views

Since the Covid outbreak, a lot has changed for many people. I am a first time mom, 37 weeks pregnant. There are so many scary things going on, but something great has come out of it all. I've never had something like this happen to me and I was humbled and grateful. I had to cancel my baby shower. Yes, a first world problem, but I was excited to celebrate with friends and family I haven't...

The Day My Mom Left...

By Leann Leedom on March 31, 2020 / 3,435 views

Just a little over 4 years ago, my mother left this beautiful planet. Her husband (my stepfather) had died from his second battle with cancer a few months prior. Before he passing, my mom was having dreams about her husband Bill coming to get her. The same dream kept reoccuring, he was at the back door of there home telling her it was time to go. She only told her sister in law about this dream. The...

And The People Stayed Home

By Kitty O'Meara on March 27, 2020 / 4,434 views

And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently. And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and...

The Best Or The Worst

By Joseph J. Mazzella on March 24, 2020 / 3,904 views

It was the first day of Spring here but it didn’t feel like it. The Coronavirus Pandemic was sweeping the globe and everywhere there were feelings of uncertainty, fear, loneliness and even despair. “Social Distancing” had become the new norm. Here the schools had been closed, the restaurant dining rooms shut, and people had been told to work from home whenever they could. Even the sheltered...

A Little Girl Rollerblading On Her Own In A Local Park Made Me Cry My Eyes Out

By A Friend on March 21, 2020 / 4,044 views

So most Sundays I bang out a quick 5km run around my local park, it resets my body clock after a weekend playing video games or writing until like 3am. So as I'm getting to the last half a kilometre, I see a figure in the distance. They have brightly coloured, pink footwear on, I'm only just sort of registering this in my exhausted state when wham, they hit the deck. Hard. To my...