Thunder of cannon. Line after line of men, issuing sheet after sheet of flame—that’s the vision he sees. He is standing on a trail inside Union lines. He stares across the empty field at the Mule Shoe of Spotsylvania Courthouse where Union and Confederate troops fought for 24 straight hours, often with just wooden defensiveContinue reading “Among the Dead at the Mule Shoe”
Tag Archives: Fathers
This Will Be the Day That I Die
Until South Padre Island Drive ends. That’s how long you drive to get to Big Shell. You drive the island expressway across the bridge, pass Snoopy’s on the right, pass through Flour Bluff, watch it turn to a two-lane road, and then there are sand dunes and a sign that says, “Four-wheel drive vehicles onlyContinue reading “This Will Be the Day That I Die”
If One of Us Is Going to Die, It Should Be You
On this trip to Utah, he has gone to the temple for the first time and been baptized for three of his grandmother’s brothers. The boy has turned 12 and been ordained a deacon. Now, he is with his brother, sister, and father near the amphitheater at Aspen Grove. They have returned from the shortContinue reading “If One of Us Is Going to Die, It Should Be You”
What to Do if There’s No Toilet Paper
Right before bed on campouts was story and joke time. That’s when the man’s father would dig out Grandpa’s diary of jokes and off-color stories he had picked up while working on the railroads in southern Utah. So of course, when he takes his kids on their first campout to Titicut, he figures he willContinue reading “What to Do if There’s No Toilet Paper”
Their God Would Be a Lion
Under the stars and the soft pier light they stand with poles in hand. The bass have been biting in a spot where the light shines brightest on the water. Stephen has snagged two already, while the young man has pulled in a catfish. Their dad has been skunked so far. “I never liked fishing,”Continue reading “Their God Would Be a Lion”
Why Don’t You Try Something Different?
The man sits on a leather couch. He keeps his phone at arm’s length and facedown. His therapist is how you picture a therapist—a sweater, salt and pepper hair, glasses, trim, legs crossed, leather shoes, a steno pad on his lap and a pen in his right hand. They are two-thirds through the session. “SoContinue reading “Why Don’t You Try Something Different?”
Revelations Communicate Divine Intelligence
What the man would like to know is if the dreams are revelatory. He has read about Joseph and his interpretation of dreams. He has studied Lehi’s dream. He has studied Daniel and the stone cut out of the mountain without hands. In his stewardship interview with the stake president, he asks, because after all,Continue reading “Revelations Communicate Divine Intelligence”
I Know Just How You Feel
November 19, 1996 Dear Gordon, We got your letter and I wanted to throw my arms around you. I know just how you felt, and I hope you have learned already that it does get better. When I reached Tokyo to start my mission, I had been on and off airplanes for about 18 hours.Continue reading “I Know Just How You Feel”
Nothing to See Here
Grant is old enough now to work the TV remote on his own. It is Saturday morning and Lauren and the man are in bed. Dragon Tales is droning and the man is between here and there when he hears: “Come on, Lucia! Let’s go get more ice cream!” They are awake now and flyingContinue reading “Nothing to See Here”
Baby Games
The boy has a July birthday. He is also unusually small for his age—short, slight, and skinny. He is the youngest in his kindergarten class when school starts that fall in San Antonio. He does not know it, but his parents are thinking of holding him back. After his first day of school, he sitsContinue reading “Baby Games”
His Smile Lit Up a Room and Other Things to Say at My Funeral 