From the Caregiver's HAErt — Danita LaShelle Jones

If this wasn’t a Thanksgiving emergency, I didn’t know what was. After an ambitious shopping trip in 2008, I was face-to-face with a rather large raw turkey just out of the package. As a fresh victim of “it seemed like a good idea at the time” and with less than…

The ending of John Krasinski’s film “A Quiet Place” offers an incredible moment in suspense as the Abbott family find themselves staring death in the face. After Evelyn’s (played by Emily Blunt) shotgun blast fatally immobilizes a vicious alien that had them cornered in the basement, audiences sigh…

“You smell that?” my husband, Paul, asked me. We had just arrived home and found it odd that the house wasn’t busy, especially with all the kids being there. Paul and I have two recurring jokes: He can sense when something is amiss using his smell and hearing, and something…

I yanked my glasses off dramatically and rubbed my eyes. Even though I couldn’t tell if I was frustrated or mentally exhausted, I realized I had an odd problem that needed addressing. After spending the better part of my evening reading through emails from students, I was shocked that several…

“Dr. Huxtable? My name’s not Bud, it’s Kenny.” That hilarious line was brilliantly delivered by an 8-year-old Deon Richmond in a 1984 episode of “The Cosby Show.” When Rudy Huxtable brings home a new friend, she introduces the young man as “Bud.” She bosses him around, answers for him, and…

“Did you say you have to potty?” I gasped with delight. My toddler nodded vigorously from where he was standing near the couch. Taking no chances, I tossed my laptop on the cushion, scooped the 2.5-year-old up, and ran him to the nearest bathroom. With only seconds to spare, our…

“I sat there for almost 20 minutes,” my husband, Paul, told me as he recapped the moment from his day. Although my day was filled with errands and meetings, he’d begun with what he’d expected to be an extensive visit to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to renew his…

I couldn’t believe it. After almost an entire semester of giggling at the fate of some of my fellow students, I found myself, deservingly, in the hallway, prepared to yell the familiar phrase. My favorite sixth-grade teacher (who happened to be my father) was a stickler for rules. In his…

“I need you,” the school nurse said over the phone. “And bring the nebulizer.” Before I ended the call, I was headed out the door with the required machinery. The destination? The school of our oldest daughter, whom we lovingly call Ladybug. I’d become familiar with these emergency runs. Before…

I’d done it! This time of year, per a family tradition, we end our Fourth of July celebration with a spectacular fireworks show. I spent the better part of an hour a few years ago scouring the internet to find the best one in the city. Soon, we loaded our…

“Mom?” my oldest son’s raspy and weak voice said over the phone. “Can you come pick me up? I don’t feel good.” I had my keys in my hand before he finished the sentence. Our oldest son carries the proud badge of being the healthiest kid in the house. Although…

“Do you have your inhaler?” I whispered to the startled child in the dark. At that moment, the rapidly passing highway lights made me slightly visible. I hadn’t thought about that when I reached her seat. In 2005, I was asked by my fine arts alma mater to travel with…