Daffodils and Fireflies

On Sunday morning Danith visited Daffy and Kiri at the river without me. I didn’t know about the trip until he texted me with pictures....

On the rare occasion that we rent a movie to watch, it must pass Danith’s litmus test. The movie can be no more than five years old. A...

I grew up as an only child, and I was an easy child. I followed my mother’s rules lest I wanted her wrath. I studied earnestly. I kept...

My life is brilliant. My heart is pure. I saw an angel. Of that I’m sure. I’m sitting on the floor of the nursery, with music playing...

Danith and I have known each other for over thirty years, but we are in possession of only one photograph of ourselves together in our...

In the midst of this decluttering spree, I am reorganizing the linen closet. I’ve refolded the towels, separating the solid-colored bath...

About five years ago a mother and her toddler son made the news in the most horrific way. She had taken her two-year-old to the local zoo...

I first met Time when I was about 27 years old. Danith was asleep with his back turned to me. Pluto was snoring in his bed on the floor...

After I delivered Daffy on Thursday evening, our doctors and nurses repeated that we could stay in our room for as long as we wanted and...

During my junior year in college, I resided in The Village, a duplex-style dormitory reserved for upperclassmen. An RA wasn’t on high...

It was on a Saturday afternoon in April that I learned I was pregnant with Kiri. I had been irritable and anxious all week, wanting to...

Yesterday, while preparing Italian sausages and bell peppers for dinner, I heard it outside. Like knives, cold and metallic, hitting each...

I grew up in a southern state with only two notable seasons: spring and summer (a long and arduous one). After we got married, Danith and...

This evening I’m aiming for a Western meal. Baby spinach with sliced strawberries and crushed roasted almonds and walnuts with a homemade...

When I was pregnant with Kiri, I shared with one doctor a secret. I lived almost every day with Kiri with trepidation. I feared that we...

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...

<p>Even as an adult I asked mothers why they loved their children.&nbsp; Their initial response was spiked with indignation.&nbsp; Why wouldn&#8217;t I?&nbsp; They hadn&#8217;t understood that my question was one of sincerity.&nbsp; Sure, a parent loves her child.&nbsp; But why?&nbsp; I loved (and still do) our deceased dog Pluto because of his innocent, tender face<a class="more-link" href="https://firefliesanddaffodils.com/2017/08/13/the-magic-of-not-knowing/">Continue read

I fear August. I fear the slyness and swiftness with which it moves. I fear the beautiful ring of its name: ancient, robust, wise. And I...

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....

Growing up, I yearned for what a small house with a green lawn and a white picket fence represented. I yearned for parents who cherished...