Margin Notes

These blog posts search ordinary moments in my life. That's where magic hides. Always.

 
Late to the Party
Karen Henry Clark Karen Henry Clark

Late to the Party

I always think I’m the only one paralyzed by overthinking.

Turns out I’m not.

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The Letter Man
Karen Henry Clark Karen Henry Clark

The Letter Man

Last year Cliff had open-heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. Problem finally fixed after months of tinkering.

Nope.

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Fences
Karen Henry Clark Karen Henry Clark

Fences

In March when Cliff had his stroke, time’s straight arrow failed me.

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My Joshua Trees
Karen Henry Clark Karen Henry Clark

My Joshua Trees

I’m amazed by what I don’t know.

In 1987 when U2 released the phenomenal Joshua Tree album, I thought they’d trekked to the desert, looking for this particular tree, the last of its kind, the monumental metaphor.

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Unliked
Karen Henry Clark Karen Henry Clark

Unliked

Turning 13 was hard for me.

I left grade school, secure in my acceptance, for the devastation of junior high.

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Stuck City
Karen Henry Clark Karen Henry Clark

Stuck City

Pretty much everybody gets stuck at some point.

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Kids Know
Karen Henry Clark Karen Henry Clark

Kids Know

One day when Maggie was in high school, she told me she’d asked the guidance counselor why they had so many team-sport assemblies: celebrating a line-up of kids, the same kids, repeatedly.

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Bad Bathroom
Karen Henry Clark Karen Henry Clark

Bad Bathroom

In early October, I flew to Seattle. Overall, the flight was perfect.

Still, one little boy’s first-time airline adventure stays with me.

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Three’s a Charm
Karen Henry Clark Karen Henry Clark

Three’s a Charm

We know the repetition of three is significant—in stories, in landscaping, in interior design.

This threesome began on Facebook. I couldn’t help seeing it.

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Small Things, In-between
Karen Henry Clark Karen Henry Clark

Small Things, In-between

I live in a network of small towns, civic islands scattered among Midwestern cornfield seas.

Nothing big happens here. We don’t expect it to either.

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This Dog
Karen Henry Clark Karen Henry Clark

This Dog

I insisted I did not want a dog.

I’ve owned several, all different—from rascal to renegade to royalty. I’d seen them through seizures, surgeries, and illnesses, cradling and carrying them to the finish.

But Maggie wanted a dog.

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Sudden Angels Part 8: Laurel
Karen Henry Clark Karen Henry Clark

Sudden Angels Part 8: Laurel

Angels were the stuff of fairy tales to me. Like unicorns, they seemed too good to be true.

Until I changed my mind.

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