Children
Magical Thinking
Magical thinking is a common trait found among all children all over the world, between the ages of approximately two until seven years of age. This time frame is also known as the ‘pre-operational stage’ of child development and it is the period in our early life when we increasingly explore our environment, and gradually learn to distinguish between ‘fantasy’ and ‘reality’.
Children at this age initially have all kinds of imaginative ideas and magical interpretations of the world, in order to make sense of their external and internal reality. At this age we still believe that we can grow wings and learn to fly; or that animals can talk and sing; or that our shadow is a magical person following us around; or that the Sun goes to sleep in the ocean; that there is a man living in the Moon; or that the wind, the clouds and the trees notice us and obey our instructions. We often also have ‘imaginary friends’ at this age. Continue reading
Our Haunted House
Anyone who grew up in a haunted house knows the things that can happen to a family in such a place.
I can remember the time when my brother John had a paper route, for which he had to get up early in the morning to deliver the newspaper. How my brother talked me into helping him on this particular Saturday I can no longer remember. But what happened that day will remain engraved in my memory.
It was a spring day and my brother went onto our front porch to get the papers. The milkman was also making his way up the steps, to bring my family’s daily delivery of fresh dairy. I figured, since I was up anyway, why not hit Mr. Milkman up for some chocolate milk… and put it on my mom and dad’s tab. Continue reading
The Mystery Of Mom’s Silverware
It’s been almost 19 years since my mother passed away and today I can still remember as if it was yesterday. I have wonderful memories of her, from her making her little cherry pies to Sunday dinners.
When I lived at my parents house there was a silverware set that I wanted, and nothing else. That was it. As a child I would rearrange this silverware set when she was not looking. I would place the forks where the knives were supposed to go, and I swapped the bigger spoons with the smaller ones.
The cutlery set was mounted on the wall and every time I did this she would get upset with me, because she had to put them back in order again. I continued this silly game into my adulthood, as childish as it may seem. After she passed away I didn’t know what happened to the silverware set and I ask my dad about it. He said, “Your sister had it and she was going to put it in the yard sale.” I was naturally very upset. I wanted something that I can look at when I was at my parents home and picture my mother pretending to get upset with me when I would rearrange her precious set. Continue reading
You Need Some Pop-up Preparedness
Life happens, therefore pop-ups happen to. What is a ‘pop up’? Well, a pop-up is something unforeseen that occurs to put a snare or trip you up in a negative way. It is a term I have invented for lack of a better one. I feel it’s a gentler way of describing those negative things that tend to pop-up during the course of our life that set us back in some way.
A family may have planned a very special time together, for example, and they had looked forward to it and patiently awaited that very enjoyable event. Then the phone rings and one of the parents has to go and tend to a new priority, and the child is left wondering what happened.
Well, what do we do in today’s world, where we live by the cell phones and social networking websites, and our friends’ and other people’s needs and desires, while putting those that we are supposed to treasure the most and love the most on the ‘back burner’. In the process our most intimate relationships suffer. Some of us just don’t know how to say no to those pop-ups! Continue reading
The Ghost Children Of San Antonio, Texas
Since it was Halloween a few days ago, I thought a ghost story would be appropriate. Although I could probably write a blog a day for months on my experiences with ghosts, I’ve chosen my favorite ghost story to share.
It happened around 18 years ago, while I was visiting a friend in San Antonio, Texas. I dropped my friend off at work and picked up her sister Lydia, who was from Texas. We set out to see the sites.
After seeing the Alamo and the River Walk, Lydia suggested we go see Mission Park located off of Military, a major, busy street in San Antonio. Lydia proceeded to tell me the story of a bus load of 1st and 2nd graders, some 50 years earlier, whose bus got stuck on the railroad tracks. The story goes that a train came and hit the bus, killing the children. Continue reading

