I stood in the backyard with my family watching the skies for the last of our homing pigeons to return from a race. The tension in the air was palpable during the long wait, but we continued to watch until all were safely home. Most Saturdays during those years of my childhood were race days. After much tender raising and careful training, a volunteer drove the caged birds far away and released them. Barefooted in our small backyard, my siblings and I spent many hours squinting in the Florida sun betting on which bird would arrive first. All day, the back door slammed-- opening and closing-- sparking frequent shouting matches among my siblings over whose prediction was right. The
A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Stragglers
A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Stragglers
A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Stragglers
I stood in the backyard with my family watching the skies for the last of our homing pigeons to return from a race. The tension in the air was palpable during the long wait, but we continued to watch until all were safely home. Most Saturdays during those years of my childhood were race days. After much tender raising and careful training, a volunteer drove the caged birds far away and released them. Barefooted in our small backyard, my siblings and I spent many hours squinting in the Florida sun betting on which bird would arrive first. All day, the back door slammed-- opening and closing-- sparking frequent shouting matches among my siblings over whose prediction was right. The