“May I have a turn holding your balloons?” The little boy walking alongside the little girl in pigtails asks during the Independence Day parade. Contemplating the request, the little girl with pigtails clutches her three shiny red, white, and blue star-shaped helium balloons with a mix...
In the scorching heat of the Arizona summer, the swimming pool becomes the only place to find some relief. The girls spend their summer days immersed in playful activities like sharks and minnows, seeing how far they can get across the pool in one breath...
Joseph Fasano felt stuck. He was asked to give a talk to a group of 2nd-grade students in NewJersey on the art of poetry. He thought about reading some of his own poems and explainingpoetry structure and rhythm, but he wanted to make poetry relatable...
"I am a mosaic of everyone I have ever loved, even just for a heartbeat.” -Hannah Hassler We are a mixture of all the people we’ve ever known. Small and delicate reminders of those we've crossed paths with remain with us, sometimes long after they leave. I’m struck...
"I have to tell you something difficult, Emma," Ella said with a serious look on her face. There was a long pause. "Your epidermis is showing," Ella said. Emma looked down and around, confused and slightly alarmed before Ella burst into laughter and said, "It's a joke. Nothing's...
I cut someone off in traffic yesterday. I like to think I'm a good driver, but this was my error. I pulled right out in front of this car, and the other driver had to slam on his brakes to avoid running into me. I was...
"You’re going to be gone for three whole days?" Tears were running down Emma’s cheeks. She was not at all pleased about my upcoming work travel. "If you’re not here, you won’t be able to take me to school or pick me up or help with...
If you find yourself strolling around New York City, you might look down and notice areas marked on the pavement — chalk-drawn circles with bold letters reading “bad luck spot” or “good luck spot.” The circles are the work of street artist Felix Morelo, a Colombian-American...
“Which way do we need to go?” I asked my husband as we walked out of the hotel lobby and onto the sidewalk. We were enjoying a weekend family trip and had heard great things about an Italian restaurant nearby. We decided to walk there for...
Jake wants a little bite of my blueberry scone. I can tell by the way he is putting one paw up toward me and drooling. “Hello,” he seems to say. “That looks delicious and I’d like to try some, please.” But I know he cannot have...