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The Day the King walked in the Room
The tour guide directed the group into the Throne Room, the best exposition in the palace. “Hurry up and get in the line to look at the jewelry and clothes,” I called my sister. “We only have a few hours to visit the rest of the museum.” We chose a self-guided audio tour to squeeze in as much information as possible before the end of the day. The list of important items was way longer than our allotted time, so I raced to cover it all. It was high season, so the museum was filled with tired, grumpy people in mile-long lines. I was one of them. Out of nowhere…
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Are you Ready to Play Ball?
“I got fired,” my friend sobbed. “I don’t know what to do. It was totally unexpected. I never thought it could happen to me!” She was barely holding it together. This new job seemed so promising. She had been excited and hopeful for months since she was offered the position in such a prestigious company. And just like that, two weeks into it, she was let go. “You’re not performing like we expected,” her supervisor said. “But it’s been less than two weeks! Give me a chance!” she begged unsuccessfully. What do you say to someone who’s been thrown a curve ball by life? How do you comfort someone who’s…
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Do you Know Where you’re Going?
“Follow the arrow, it will direct you to the exit door” the guide said. “You can return tomorrow when the power is restored.” My heart raced as I grabbed my husband’s arm and our little children clutched mine. We tried to follow the guide’s instructions, navigating our way through the darkness of the tunnel and the mute crowd around us. Suddenly, a light flickered up above, forming an arrow pointing to an exit door. After the longest fifteen minutes in my life, we found our way out into the morning sun in the crowded amusement park. Everyone in our group erupted in smiles and sighs of relief. “I thought we’d…
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Carla’s Rollercoaster Ride
“Thanks for picking me up, again. I need a new car,” Carla grumbled as she got in her friend Alex’s car.” “Luckily all I have in my agenda today is a boring appointment with my dentist.” Alex offered to wait outside so they could go to lunch afterwards. “I’m so sorry, Carla,” the dentist said as he held her hand. “But that is not a cold sore on your tongue. It’s cancer.” Carla’s chair turned into a monster roller coaster that turned upside down and flipped around. She gripped the arm rests to keep from passing out. “You need surgery to remove it. Additionally, you might require chemotherapy and radiation.…
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Are You a Back Seat Rider?
“Tell me another story Gigi!” the girls asked with praying hands. One of the things they enjoyed the most was getting tucked into bed by one of their grandmothers and hearing stories about their mom and dad as children. “Your mom always wanted to ride in the front seat,” my mother said as she settled in the sofa. “This was before seat belts or car seats.” The girls covered their open mouths with their little hands. “She urged your granddad to pass all the cars because she wanted to get to our destination quickly. And she never stopped asking “Are we there yet? How much longer?” My youngest one shook…
