When I was nineteen, I transferred from the University of Texas to the University of Utah. My sister was getting a divorce that summer and asked if I would come out and be there in Salt Lake City with her and her kids. I was happy to do that since I knew she needed some…
Tag: love
A Mile in Someone Else’s Shoes
When I was growing up, I took piano lessons from Miss Virginia Baird. She lived in a brown-boarded two-story house on the corner of Main and 9th Streets, and she had at least thirty cats that lived in that great big house with her. Miss Virginia loved best to talk about what was happening in…
In Memory of Sandra, Who Died This Day in 2011
It seems fitting to remember Sandra, my sister-in-law, today. Our whole family misses her very much. She was smart, sassy, and had a wicked sense of humor. What was there not to love? My Short Speech at Sandra’s Funeral My name is Len Leatherwood and I am Sandra’s sister-in-law. My nieces requested I say a…
Growing a Softer Legacy
I never saw it coming—that I’d have a grandma who didn’t like me. And I don’t believe she ever did, at least not as long as I can remember. I have no memory of her extending kindness toward me. This puzzled me because everyone else in my life—family, friends, church—seemed to embrace me with open…
The Life I Didn’t See Coming
When I was 16, I knew that in my future I wanted a loving husband and several children. I also wanted a career, since I knew, from watching my mother earn her Ph.D. as I was growing up, that intellectual stimulation and economic freedom contributed to happiness. I saw myself in a helping profession, such…
The Practice of Noticing What’s Good
10 Things I Like About Myself If someone asked me to make a list of what I like about myself, I might hesitate at first. It’s not something most of us do very often. But there’s real value in pausing to acknowledge what’s good, solid, and true about who we are. Here’s what came to…
Raising Cane: Lessons from Winnie Waugh
I wrote this a while back, but wanted to share it again in honor of my grandmother. My grandmother, Winnie Waugh, walked with a wooden cane for as long as I can remember. This cane was made of smooth, polished, dark brown wood and was very plain—a simple curve at the top for her hand…
In Conversation with Myself: Work, Marriage, and Adventure
This was inspired by a writing prompt given by one of the colleges one of my students is applying to. It is not a thorough interview, just one aspect. 1) You have clearly done quite a few jobs in your life. Was that by design or did that just happen? I started out as a…
We’re More Than Labels
Today, I did something a little unusual. I was tired and while resting I started mentally listing all the people I knew growing up. I’m from a little Texas town of 7,000, and there were 125 people in my graduating class. Most of those people started with me in first grade and went all the…
The View From Here: On Family, Writing, Faith, and the Peace of Enough
When I was younger, I imagined that by the time I reached this stage of life, I’d have quite the list of accomplishments. Surely, I’d be well-traveled, widely read, impressively fit, financially successful, and the proud author of at least three books—all while raising a wonderful family and enjoying a happy marriage. The reality looks…
20 Minutes a Day 