Author: Donna Hessel

She was used to listening to other peoples’ stories. They would come in and sit down in her office and just start talking. Divorce, death, abuse, sickness, disappointments, no topic was ever off-limits. It taught her many things, like the fragility of life and the pain of loving. Her job was to help people see…

It wasn’t exactly unhappiness; other parts of her life were happy. Certainly she was frustrated and unfulfilled. She was brilliant in her subject matter and could teach the dimmest student, brightening a life with new understanding. Maybe that was the problem, she was too good at her job. So she got the most difficult students…

She had her daily routine and it worked: get up, shower, get dressed, eat, go to work, make dinner for her husband, exercise. She met with friends, took trips, mixing up the routine, but mostly she moved through her days with ease and a sense of the familiar. It brought comfort and security, so much…

She was definitely on the “old” side for a single woman. 26 years and no husband in the 1950s was almost spinster. It wasn’t because she didn’t want a husband, she just hadn’t found the right man yet. She had grown up in farm country with a bunch of rowdy brothers. She was excited to…

The kids loved him. He was one of those “favorite” teachers; not because he was easy or lavished praise, but because they could tell he genuinely cared. He was tough, but not critical; demanding, but not autocratic. He smiled easily and often, encouraged students outside the classroom, and took an interest in their lives without…

Mostly she wore pigtails. Somehow they suited her, with her big smile, sunny outlook and humble demeanor. Everybody was a friend and harsh words never seemed to pass her lips. In her early sixties, she had seen enough life to not care that some might find her hairstyle a bit young. It suited her. She…

The daughter never gave much thought to the Gospel story of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples outside of Holy Thursday. Now her mom lives with them, and there are things Mom just can’t do for herself anymore, like take care of her feet. When her nails get really long and her calluses have…

She’ll tell you it’s true, that old adage about how time flies by more quickly the older you get. Age does that – gives you a different perspective on life. And if your body tires before your brain, there’s not much to do except sit and think about adages and life. She thought maybe she…

She could feel the warmth of the sun, hear the birds talking back and forth, see the flowers offering their colors to the bees, smell the damp soil. She ran and jumped and played, later making friends in school and charming her teachers. She brought life and light with her. And she danced to the…

Dee had come to visit her father, who was once again in the hospital. Moaning permeated the floor. “How long has that been going on?” Dee asked. “Most of the night and this morning,” her dad replied. “Poor fellow,” he continued, “he must be in a lot of pain.” Dee was annoyed. It was the…