There's a widow in our community whom I have long known from afar. I wrote an open letter to her years ago, after her husband was shot and killed on duty as a law enforcement officer. I am pretty sure I spotted her in the corner booth at Chick-fil-A this week. Not in a creepy […]
I've been in my share of parades. Probably more than my share, actually. Marching band parades, down the main street and next to the fire station of my home town, ringing in the glorious mark of Memorial Day. (You have to love a town that has a Memorial Day Parade.) Halloween parades with a whole […]
I have always been the caboose, always at the end of the line putting all my people in front of me. I was pushing a stroller, then a double stroller, then a stroller again. Sometimes with a toddler beside me, but always still in front of me. From the moment they were mobile, I have […]
This week, I learned that Sepsis does not, in fact, have the power to take from me every man I love. On Thursday, my dad had a minor out-patient procedure. On Friday, he had a fever and started acting strange. On Saturday morning, my mom called 9-1-1. She called me. "They're on their way." "What's […]
We are at the life stage where the boys come home late at night after a shift at work or a musical theater rehearsal, and then they scrounge the cupboards for evening snacks like Ramen or quesadillas. There is much talk most mornings about the rogue dishes that show up long after the kitchen is […]
Somehow, I have become the mom sitting by the mirrors outside the men's dressing room, while the sons try on jackets, pants, shirts, and vests to wear to Homecoming. More importantly, these guys have become tall enough, broad enough, and particular enough to wear clothes that require a tape measure for specificity and fit. (We […]
So Rob said, "Hey, Trish, what if we did a live recording of Let's Talk Soon: The Podcast at your book launch?" And it was immediately almost more than I could stand. It's happening. August 14, 2021 4:00pm Ecclesia Market 221 Perry Street, Castle Rock, CO 80104 Tricia Lott Williford writes, blogs, and speaks […]
"Coming up with a new recipe to feed the family, or even putting together a presentation for a new client may not typically be thought of as creative acts, but they are. Creativity is about choices, training, experimentation, inspiration, history, commitment, and fun. Every occupation - from artist to businessperson, teacher to chef - […]
Thirteen Things I Learned from my Dad: 1. If you're going to get in trouble at school, let it be for talking too much to all of your many friends. Sociable is not a bad thing. 2. When putting together an outfit, choose the least noticeable color in the busier item, and make that your […]
"'It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day. I was out choppin' cotton and my brother was bailin' hay." That's how the song starts. With a haunting melody, it's story song about a boy's suicide when he jumps off the high bridge in their Missisippi County. The third of June is when […]
"All I want for Mother's Day is a picture of my kids," she told us. Well, that's simple enough. Plus, we had spent a good decade-and-a-half under closely guided training from my dad on how to honor my mom on the days that belonged to her. One of the top rules: if she makes a […]
Everybody who becomes an adult has to be fourteen once, and it’s a rough time of transition for everybody involved in that year of slamming bedroom doors. It’s a year of strong emotions, and manipulating heartstrings like one learning to play a violin: screeching and awkward until it becomes classy or even tolerable. Or maybe […]
"Mom, I asked her to be my girlfriend. But don't worry - I talked to her dad already." "You asked her dad?" Peter and I exchanged silent glances, since "asking the dad" isn't something we had coached this young man to do. There are a few gifts born from my sons watching my own love […]
I read recently about an interview with author Nora Roberts, where someone asked her how to balance writing and kids. (Anything of this specific genre grabs my attention faster than a barista calling out the cup with my name on it.) She said the key to juggling is to know that some of the balls […]
Maybe you've seen this story that's circulating on social media: "Years ago, anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked by a student what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture. The student expected Mead to talk about fishhooks or clay pots or grinding stones. But no. Mead said that the first sign […]
This is the final week of distance learning, a household term that nobody knew three months ago. This week, we go to the school to pick up what was left behind in their lockers in the Great Middle School Rapture of March 2020. One of the parents commented on the school thread: I'm so sorry […]
Tricia: Okay. So, I want to talk about this. Right before the whole world shut down, we went on a cruise. Rob's family, my family, our parents - the whole crowd. We call ourselves the Great Eight, and we went on a cruise together. When we got on the ship it was safe to cruise, […]
Every night, we have ice cream at 8:00. And some evenings, we have it at other times, because it's 8:00 somewhere. We are living it up in our locked up condition. Last night, before our evening constitution, Peter brought us all together at the dining room table. There were four cups of fruit punch and […]
Parents of Preschoolers and Toddlers, this season is the real deal, isn't it? You are in the t-r-e-n-c-h-e-s. When my guys were preschoolers, I had to have them out the door by 9:00am, or the house would surely crumble around us. I was sure of it, and my theory was fairly proven. And now, this […]
A few years ago, I kept things lively with a special treat for the boys each day of spring break. One day, we visited the arcade with a handful of quarters for their glorious spending pleasure. Tuck spent his coins on experiences: virtual motorcycle rides and shooting galleries. Tyler spent his coins and best efforts […]
