Excerpt from Laughter in the Fields

“Kreigh!!” Please stop bouncing that ball in the house!” Mother called from the study. Mrs. Kay Alcorn was writing her second book, and it needed to be finished very soon. But Kreigh was bored. His little brother, Klay and baby sister, Kayla were taking a nap. He thought he had been playing quietly, but now he wasn’t sure what to do.

He walked into the study where Mom was busy at her computer. “I’m sorry to disturb you, Mom,” he spoke gently, “but I just don’t know what I can do.”

“Well,” Mom removed her glasses and turned to her son, “why don’t you go and play outside? Just stay in the yard and soak up the sun.”

“Okay! Bye Mom,” he called back over his shoulder as he headed toward the door. As much as he loved to play outside, he was surprised that he had not thought of this already! He hurried outside and stopped to take a deep breath. How he loved the fall season. The sky was the truest color of blue and the air was so fresh and crisp. The leaves on the trees were such brilliant shades of golden, maroon, red and orange.

He was walking around his yard, soaking up all the vivid colors and enjoying the sun’s rays on his skin when all of a sudden he stopped cold. His heart was frozen with fear.

There in front of him stood a great big grey and brown squirrel!

Excerpt from YOUNG WIDOWHOOD:

We were running a little behind schedule. We should have been at our friends’ home
by 12 noon and it was already 1:30. But Tim had to finish a two-year project (18 months
ahead of schedule), he had to cal his sister and he had to stop by the Army/Navy Surplus
Store. Those would be his final acts on this earth. While traveling north on Interstate 71,
we were involved in an automobile accident that left Time brain-dead in one hospital, our
two-year-old son, Jai, in another hospital with a slight concussion and head lacerations,
and me in still another hospital with five broken ribs and a confirmed pregnancy. In an
instant my life was forever changed. I was 24 years old…

[later, after attending a support group meeting] I went home and cried that entire night.
What was this thing called widowhood? Every book I tried to find on widowhood assumed
that the spouse had died in the “golden years.” There was scarcely any information available
for me. I needed some practical information about coping with young widowhood… [excerpt
from my journal] The fact is that I’m still very much in love with Tim. But I must remember my
husband is dead. Dead. Dead. Death. Dying. I have to keep saying it cuz it’s still difficult to
believe. I don’t expect I’ll ever “get over” him, but I wonder if I’ll ever be able to stop hurting,
to fill the void. Time was so much a part of me. A part that is now dead.

Excerpt from THE WRITE WAY

Any time Brandon and I would try to discuss
any subject, our conversation would escalate
to a shouting match. Eventually we began to
avoid each other and would barely even speak
at times. When we were together, there was
tension in the room …I hated the chasm that
had come between us, yet I didn’t have a clue
as to how to fix it. My heart missed my son and
our conversations. And deep down inside, I knew
that Brandon missed them, too. More importantly,
as Brandon entered adolescence, I knew that he
needed my guidance now more than every before…

After spending some time in prayer and meditation,
I was impressed to try a new way of communication
with my son, The Write Way…then I began to “talk”
to my son with my pen…

We never discussed the contents of that journal,
but our relationship slowly grew into one of respect
and mutual understanding…

Excerpt from A MOTHER SPEAKS ABOUT AUTISM:

When the doctors told me that my son had autism, my whole world crumbled around me.
My first-born son, so beautiful and perfect in every way was going to be different for the
rest of his life. If the ailment had fallen upon me, surely I could have bore it, but it was on
my child. As his mother, I hurt twice as much …From ages 7 – 11, he did “unique” things
– played with wire hangers, turned off lights in the mall/grocery stores, rubbed his head
on the carpet …

Children and adults with special needs are put into our lives to help make
us better … Whenever you see us parents dealing with a special needs child, keep in mind
that we must deal with these issues daily, not just at [that particular time]. So please be
patient with us and with our children…

Excerpt from ODE TO CHRISTMAS LETTER WRITERS

I do not like those cheery letters
From those happy, bubbly, go-getters
Laced with wordy hocus-pocus
Sounding smug and braggadocios.

They’re ever flying here and there
Always planning what goes where
Re-decorating, adding pools,
Spending cash like raging fools.
Rubbing it all in my nose;
Having neither cares nor woes.

Perfect marriage, perfect cars,
Perfect kids … (must be from Mars!)
Blah-blah-blue and blue-blue-blah
Ho, ho, ho and la-dee-dah.
Yes, I read them, oh, ‘tis true …
Then I flush them down the loo.

Excerpt from RAW FOOD TO EAT

I do not want raw food to eat!
Cook it, for the sake of Pete!
How can my heart leap and sing
If I can’t stop at Burger King?
Where am I to finally be
Without a stop at KFC?
Stop the presses!
Start the marches!
Lest I find the Golden Arches!
Even Wendy’s pigtails curl
At thought of a Raw Food World!