by Christine O. | Sep 1, 2023 | ComLine, Voices of Recovery
When I was a kid, I had a crush on Linus, the character in the “Peanuts” cartoon. Linus had an oppressive older sister, Lucy, whose dictatorial ways he had to manage, sometimes avoiding her, often obeying her, occasionally defying her. He took refuge in his blanket,...
by Christine O. | Aug 1, 2023 | ComLine, Voices of Recovery
I hear her voice in my head: “God forbid a stranger should find fault with you.” Such an event would of course embarrass the whole family. I wonder how many generations have heard this — I had heard two — then repeated it when they became parents. “God forbid that a...
by Christine O. | Jul 1, 2023 | ComLine, Voices of Recovery
The trees had been described as “deer resistant”, language that is ambiguous because it depends on how hungry the deer are. The family of three that felt comfortable in my backyard were really hungry. I had bought the pomegranate trees as memorials for my daughter,...
by Christine O. | Jul 1, 2023 | ComLine, Voices of Recovery
It was a bold experiment in my mind, perhaps an early inquiry into the workings of reality. Prayer mingled God with Santa Claus: if I prayed hard enough, I would get a beautiful dollhouse in my room. I cleared a space for it between my bed and the door. I was six or...
by Christine O. | Mar 15, 2023 | ACA And The Arts
Freeze – All attention must be on the current crisis.Freeze – I spend most of my day waiting for a crisis. Freeze – All resources must be ready to be deployed in the crisis.Freeze – All resources on constant standby.Freeze – I spend...
