Dearest Rachel – I promise you, I have a recap story for you from our adventures knocking around Boston, and I will gather to them soon enough (as soon as I’ve put together the videos I shot as we walked from what felt like one end of the city to the other, but really onlyContinue reading “When Those Who’ve Lost Let Go”
Tag Archives: loneliness
Not Much to Tell, No Time to Tell It
Dearest Rachel – It seems weird to say that today is likely to be the most routine day of the week. After all, the whole point of the weekend is that it is different from the rest of the week; a respite from the hurly-burly of workaday life. But when one’s day-to-day is no longerContinue reading “Not Much to Tell, No Time to Tell It”
What Scares You?
Dearest Rachel – I’ve been up long enough already today that I can barely remember my dream last night. All that comes to mind is that I was one of maybe the last twelve or twenty humans left on the planet. It wasn’t a case of having to deal with tons of dead bodies everywhereContinue reading “What Scares You?”
Stuff and Junk and Stuff
Dearest Rachel – You might remember one of those many anime gag dubs we used to collect back in the day from Midnight Madnesses past in which a character made fun of the fact that their lips kept moving after they’d essentially said what they had to (and while that has been a running jokeContinue reading “Stuff and Junk and Stuff”
The Call in the Middle of the Night
Dearest Rachel – It seems silly to marvel at the accuracy of scripture sometimes. I find myself reminded of some after-dinner speaker who is said to have begun a speech by pompously intoning, “As God said, and I think rightly…” One can only hope he was joking with such a line, but it’s just plausible that itContinue reading “The Call in the Middle of the Night”
Old – And Gone – Before Our Time
Dearest Rachel – Last night, I found myself dreaming about how I needed to make preparations for Kevin to come up here to the Chicago suburbs to see us, as he usually does. It is about that time of year, after all – Labor Day is just a little more than a week away. IContinue reading “Old – And Gone – Before Our Time”
Seventeen and Other Tunes
Dearest Rachel – I have to confess, I’m trying to find a style of music that I can listen to without being reminded of the many mix tape memories that we shared throughout our college and courtship days. Even stuff that grew on us by way of anime music videos can take a psychic tollContinue reading “Seventeen and Other Tunes”
The Things We Meant to Watch Together
Dearest Rachel – Between our collection of anime and television shows, I used to joke about how we were gathering up enough entertainment to see us through a long, debilitating final illness – or at least, an extended period of time without internet. Only, your last day was just like every other day; everything wasContinue reading “The Things We Meant to Watch Together”
Live and In Person
Dearest Rachel – Some time before you left, back when I was still considering assembling some form of YouTube channel, I was reading up on artificial intelligence, and how it was able to compose music. As I had no particular talent in that field, it seemed like a great idea for coming up with originalContinue reading “Live and In Person”
Ten Thousand Days
Dearest Rachel – Last Thursday, after dinner with the folks, Daniel and I retired to the family room with them as we always do. Mom finished up the washing (yes, that’s her system; it helps that the kitchen counter overlooks the family room, so she’s part of the conversation as she works), and eventually joinedContinue reading “Ten Thousand Days”
Little Nightmares
Dearest Rachel – So, last night’s study had us wrapping up the book of Philippians; you know the passage, the one about not being anxious, but rejoicing in every situation. I’ve always had difficulty with that, simply because I can’t keep from thinking of joy as an emotion, as opposed to an action (yes, IContinue reading “Little Nightmares”
It Seems I Have My Answer
Dearest Rachel – It wasn’t until late in the day yesterday that I realized what day it was. The 23rd of June had all but come and gone, and while I’d remembered you and sent a letter going on about the misadventures of the day, I’d forgotten what the date was, and what it signified.Continue reading “It Seems I Have My Answer”
Too Much Emptiness
Dearest Rachel – Well, the boys just left for the convention as I got home from Bible study this morning. In fact, they were literally getting into Logan’s car as I reached the driveway, so I went around the block in order to allow him to pull out using the turnaround, rather than forcing themContinue reading “Too Much Emptiness”
from Rachel: (God Is Stronger than My Struggles) With Loneliness
Remember your loneliest time? What details made it particularly difficult? “My most alone time was last August (2013) when I vacationed alone for a week, but I relished in almost every minute of it. I think the times I feel loneliest are when I’m surrounded by people, but they are already all in groups conversing.Continue reading “from Rachel: (God Is Stronger than My Struggles) With Loneliness”
Breaking ‘Basel Syndrome’
Dearest Rachel – I wonder if, after November’s fiasco, whether I haven’t developed a mild case of what one might call ‘Basel Syndrome,’ where I’m simply more comfortable in my hotel room (or in this case, cabin – everything has a different name at sea, for whatever reason) than I am out wandering around andContinue reading “Breaking ‘Basel Syndrome’”
Less Eventful Days
Dearest Rachel – So, we are now headed back toward Florida; another non-stop sail of some 1,200 miles or so. Two whole days of nothing but open ocean, as we make our return. This is the dénouement; barring something catastrophic or stupid (or catastrophically stupid), these last two days will be considerably less eventful thanContinue reading “Less Eventful Days”
Dying of Complications
Dearest Rachel – I mentioned the other day about that book of humorous epitaphs in my grandparents’ basement; another one that always caught my attention was this one, which could probably describe everyone on earth (or at least, most of us here in the First World): He was a simple man who died of complicationsContinue reading “Dying of Complications”
Déjà Vu
Dearest Rachel – This weekend is going to be considerably quieter than the last few. After two weeks in a row, the girls won’t be coming over tonight (or next Friday, for that matter, if I recall correctly). It’s how scheduling goes, and that’s fine. I can’t expect them to be here every single week,Continue reading “Déjà Vu”
Last Supper Here
Dearest Rachel – Just to set the record straight, I put the word ‘Here’ in the title because well, it is the last time I’m going to bother with room service, especially considering I’ve gone through basically anything on the menu that’s interesting (okay, I admit to debating about two entrees tonight, but we’ll getContinue reading “Last Supper Here”
Last Day on Hold
Dearest Rachel – After nearly a week of sleeping in until (and past) nine, I find myself up this morning at seven, unable to go back to sleep. The streets are still dark (it is December, after all), and yet my mind and body have determined I have spent enough time in bed for theContinue reading “Last Day on Hold”
Bearable Together
Dearest Rachel – Even as I lay awake, processing last nights nightmare, I found myself wondering what this little adventure would be like had it been the two of us, rather than just me. What would be different about it, and what would be the same? In all likelihood it wouldn’t have even happened, orContinue reading “Bearable Together”
A Very Different Travelogue
Dearest Rachel – When Alton Brown started his ‘Quarantine Qitchen’ online streaming program with his wife Elizabeth about a year and a half ago, you were tuning in every Tuesday to watch, and occasionally comment, as they tried to assemble dinner and drinks together, squabbling as (apparently?) married couples do. You seemed to find itContinue reading “A Very Different Travelogue”
Twilight Memories
Dearest Rachel – The nights are getting longer; well, they’ve been getting longer since Daniel’s birthday nearly four months ago. But now that we’ve passed the vernal equinox, and the hours of darkness exceed those of light, it becomes that much more obvious… and painful. October, even out here on the internet, is a monthContinue reading “Twilight Memories”
That Much Emptier
Dearest Rachel – So Kevin just left this morning, and will likely be driving through the entirety of the day, arriving home after sunset. It’s the nature of the trip, and the distance involved. He’s going home to an emptier house than ours, which is why I really shouldn’t be complaining like I am. ButContinue reading “That Much Emptier”
Running From the Void
Dearest Rachel – It’s two o’clock in the morning. Chompers has been silent for nearly an hour. And I am lying here, somehow unable to fall asleep, with a host of nebulous thoughts whirling through my head, none of which are quite concrete enough to set to text. But if I don’t do something, ifContinue reading “Running From the Void”
Do You Have to Study to Pass the Bechdel Test?
Dearest Rachel – I can’t recall if you’re familiar with the concept of the Bechdel Test. At its most basic, it’s meant to be a measure of the representation of female characters in a work of fiction. The idea is that in order to pass, such a work needs to a.) have at least twoContinue reading “Do You Have to Study to Pass the Bechdel Test?”
The Middle of the Bed
Dearest Rachel – At home, there’s always something that prevents me from taking up the entirety of the bed. It’s partially a physical question of real estate, where some of your stuff has been lying there. Indeed, I’ve been keeping a couple of your Bible study books there as a reference to flip through andContinue reading “The Middle of the Bed”
If There Be Aloneness
Dearest Rachel – If there be alonenessLet it befor the pleasure of one’s own company for the striving to understand oneself for the joy of relaxation but most of allLet it beby choice. Mya Anderson (PHS Class of 1988) Roundtable 1986 I have carried this little slice of wisdom, penned by a classmate your ageContinue reading “If There Be Aloneness”
At the End of the Day
Dearest Rachel – I’ve never been much for making friends, especially once we got married. After all, I thought, I had you, my best friend in the whole world. What more could I possibly need or want? Now, you had your friends, both old ones that came up to the area at around the sameContinue reading “At the End of the Day”
Chasing the Sandman
Dearest Rachel – Does it still count as sleep if, while your body lies there, recumbent in bed, your mind is spinning like tires stuck in the snow? Because I don’t know the answer; all I know is that I don’t want to get up yet. The girls came over last night, just to hangContinue reading “Chasing the Sandman”
Letters to Rachel 