Paved Paradise
I didn’t want our first kiss to be in a parking lot. Rachel told me that at the end our fourth date. She laughed and walked with me back to the water’s edge where she kissed me gently. Her tiny, rosebud shaped lips explored my big-Texas mouth. We shook hands and went back to our cars. I sat back and breathed deeply as she opened her car door, then turned around to walk over to mine. I rolled down my window and she put her hand around the back of my neck, giving me one more deep, incomparable kiss — in the parking lot. — Mandelyn Cloninger
A Little Bit of everything
“I’m sorry I’m stupid,” my father mumbles. When my father struggles to find a word or complete sentences due to dementia, he makes this heartbreaking statement. “Dad, you are not stupid,” I automatically respond. To change the subject, I ask, “What have you been doing today?” Dad’s wicked sense of humor, one that he inherited from his father, generates an immediate answer: “Oh, a little bit of everything, the easy tasks twice.” Someday dad will forget even his sense of humor, but for now, thankfully, we can laugh together. — Hollyahna Valentino
‘Alert to My Eyes and Smiles’
Before becoming a parent, I couldn’t imagine myself as one. I avoided holding squirming babies. I didn’t know how to burp them or why they needed to be burped at all. I was devastated by the loss of my freedom, my body, identity, and past lives when Niam was born. But as Niam awoke from the womb — alert to my eyes and smiles — I realized I had grown fond of the little fellow. I actually thought he was quite cute. In fact, I couldn’t stop kissing him. I was actually in love with him. — Mansi Kothari
Fender Bender
I was looking the other direction, and I rammed into her car. “Are you all right?” I asked. “Yes, but I don’t know about my car,” she said without anger. “Are you OK?” Still in shock and worried about being liable, I noticed the slight damage to both of our cars, then the sunflower on her dress. She’s the type of person I could be friends with, I thought. I replied, “I’m all right.” With mutual relief, we hugged spontaneously, then drove off our separate ways. My bumper was bruised but my faith in humanity was restored. — Carrie Klein
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