Posts by Jennifer Dougan
Where is He Intersecting Your Lines With Others?
He’s here again — the Japanese Grandpa. I don’t know him but I see him regularly at my library coffee shop. A black jacket hood pulled low covers half his face and hides his distinguished silver and charcoal hair today, but I can still see his thin grey mustache and beard. A narrow cheekbone rests…
Read MoreA Mission that Will Self-Destruct in Ten, Nine, Eight…
My daughter and her friend spread watercolor pigments, paint brushes, drawing pencils, and textured feathery paper across our dining room table. Photo Credit: Flickr user Mike Wallis, Creative Commons cc license “Mom, can you click on the Nutcracker Pandora station?” she asks, just a few bars into a Vivaldi song. Tchaikovsky must feel more inspirational…
Read MoreWhat is it For You?
Mondays are my favorite days. Photo Credit: Marie Coleman, Creative Commons cc license Dropping Morgan off at an academy, I pull away from the curb and head to a nearby public library. Two stories of a book lover’s dream are encased in floor-to-ceiling glass windows. World-origin coffee beans bulge in burlap bags on the floor…
Read MoreWhat’s Sidling Up Behind You?
The worry’s been creeping in again. Hunched over a library computer today in between carpool trips, I scrolled website pages, scribbled notes, and slipped into anxiety. I don’t know about you but for me it can masquerade as proactiveness or “being prepared,” yet the truth is more subtle. It’s about control. Photo Credit: Flickr user, DeSales…
Read MoreOf Parties, Time Capsules, and Choosing Your Trajectory
The party was tonight. It was the Dougan Leap Year Doughnut Party. Peering into the doughnut case this afternoon, we nabbed two glazed ones, two white frosted sprinkled ones, and one filled with raspberry jelly. On the way home, Morgan and I laughed and talked, with me purposefully reigning in my own expectations. Photo: Christine Rondeau,…
Read MoreWhen You Really Want to Read Past the Christian Jargon
“It would be okay if I got a shot today,” he announced this morning, hopping on one leg and peering at me with his head cocked sideways. Above Photo: David K, Creative Commons cc license “Oh! Well, good job. I don’t think you’ll need a shot today, though. It’s just a dentist check up,” I…
Read MoreWhat Your Tell Says About You (and Me)
A dear one in my life stutters when she’s nervous and I get it. I look her deep in the eyes, still all my outward movement, and patiently wait. I want my steady focus to assure her I’m listening, because I completely understand. Photo: LeBrvn, Creative Commons, cc license When I was younger, my words…
Read MoreParenting Adult Kids: Navigating Life Alongside Them
He said it straight up, this truth I had been feeling deep down too. Sitting in chairs pulled up close enough for our legs and knees to touch, we sat across from each other for maximum eye contact. And the prolonged eye contact had been stacking up, my neck tingling deliciously, our eyes flashing at…
Read MoreWanting to Live Wide-hearted in a World of Headlines
Under the shade of a rippling tarp, Dominican Republic partners and Office of Environment officials talked about mangrove reforestation, explaining the work we would do. I wiped sweat off my cheeks and glanced over at Mary. Photo Courtesy Anh Brown Twelve days earlier she had called me, conspiratorial laughter in her voice. “How would you…
Read MoreHow to Jump into a Week that is Rumbling By
Blueberry and banana puree cling to the side of the glass. We’ve been blending and drinking fruit smoothies multiple times a week, it seems. Mark’s trying to get healthier and knows this is one way to raise his fruit serving count. Jumping at any opportunity for vitamin C this week, I’ve chimed in often: “Me…
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