Katie Swift
This year is a very special treat- all three of our chitlins’ are high schoolers which means Homecoming dance for all! You’d think I would’ve thought to get a picture of all three of them together but by the time I got everyone dressed, ticketed and to the park for snap shots, I had little...
David went to prom this spring with a few good friends and a fistful of bling to the kid at the restaurant who called my son a fag i know your life is a mediocre drag but i hope and i pray and heap burning coals on you that maybe someday you’ll find the courage...
When you’re the middle child and you grow up watching your big brother hit all those milestones first, it can be a little intimidating… So you learn to play it cool… You never wear dress shoes… And you let your mom take a few pics… But just a few…
Because when your firstborn son goes to his first homecoming dance with his rock star girlfriend, you drive them. On the way you stop at a sunset field… then proceed to take too many pictures. And when you notice your boy, who is wearing a fancy suit and a watch, is also wearing a...
David turned 12 years old last Friday and it was my first time away from him on his birthday. I went on a girls trip (I know, I know how could I?) and left my firstborn baby boy home with Dad to fend for himself on the day of his birth. David survived without me (I...
When I was 5 years old I jumped into a hole that I couldn’t get out of. The fire truck had to come and my mom brought me Kool-aid. I don’t remember jumping or sirens or even being scared. I just remember Kool-aid. And my mom, long legged and unsure of what to do. And...
My grandmother passed away. She was my father’s mother. I didn’t know her very well. The truth is, I have a whole family that I don’t know very well. On the way to the funeral my big brother and I talked about our childhood. We talked about how alone we felt, the way we were...
The older I get the longer the road becomes. And can I look back. And the paths that were winding, seem straighter. The view that was clouded, seems clearer. The directions that were daunting, so simple. And it’s like it all makes sense. And yet at the same time, I feel more lost than I ever did....
For me, growing up was a lot like the ocean. I was born and raised in Florida and the salty air still hangs in my memories. The waves were much bigger then. I can still remember… I am small and looking up. I am anticipating that which is greater than me. The foamy water breaks...
When I was 12 years old my father showed up at our little house on Watervliet and I can’t remember why. I must’ve said something to upset him though because he looked me straight in the eyes and said, “You know Katie, you ain’t shit. You ain’t nothing but me and your mama put together.”...
When I was a little girl I did not have a daddy. I did not get spun or twirled and when I put on my pretty dresses I had no one to show them to. Now I am all grown up with a daughter of my own. And she has a daddy. And a lot...
Want to stalk each other and pretend we're good friends? Me too!