Bright sunflowers had greeted Nadia each time she’d visited her baba Oksana.
As a small child, she’d watched her grandmother cook traditional Russian meals while recounting tales of her journey to the new land she’d eventually call home.
She’d traveled on a crowded boat with few belongings. The small amount of sunflower seeds she’d brought to eat were almost gone by the time she’d arrived.
Oksana decided to plant the leftover sunflower seeds in remembrance of her home; left behind.
Imprinted in Nadia’s heart, memories of her baba Oksana’s smile and love of sunflowers.
*****The dictionary terms and basic forms for grandfather and grandmother in Russian are dedushka and babushka. They’re often shortened for children to ded (grandfather) or baba (grandmother).
I’m sure this ‘Thank You’ note seems quite contrary to my persona, but it’s no-less sincere.
I’ve realized how my past ungrateful behaviors have hurt you. I apologize for it all.
The incredible gala you created for my marriage to Harry left me breathless.
As I’m sitting on the balcony with this magical view of Portofino, I’m tearful of the years we’ve missed together. Milestone celebrations; each lost along the way.
Your description of our honeymoon get-a-way was on target, to the last detail.
***** Bullying is the use of force, threat, exclusion or coercion to abuse, or intimidate aggressively toward others. The behavior is often repeated and habitual in an event to overpower another.
***** Although I attended a Catholic parochial school which should have made bullying null and void, it did not. As the only Latino child in an all anglo school, my ethnic difference provided a great deal for students to use against me. Bullying comes in many colors and ethnic backgrounds; perhaps, one day it will be erradicated.
When the ambulance arrived they rushed him straight to the operating room.
We paced outside the coffee lounge waiting area.
It seemed like hours but only minutes had passed.
No one dared speak for fear of causing a deluge of emotions in the nervous mother.
Her woeful cries, when she first heard of her sons accident, rang in Isadora’s ears. She wasn’t sure she could bring comfort to her mother if anything happened to her brother, Vincent.
Hours passed.
It didn’t seem possible, they hadn’t heard anything.
Finally, Dr. Ramundi, approached. “I’m sorry. We did all we could.”
