Clad in a virginal white negligee With feathers on my slippers And butterflies in my stomach Not knowing what to expect I step into the room
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All articles filed in Bess Terrell
Raincoats and Ham Sandwiches
All the girls were wearing khaki-colored raincoats. I didn’t have one, so I began the beg-and-whine routine on my mom to get one. How could any decent teenage girl not expect to be a clone of every other girl in her clique? Mom either realized it was important for me to fit in with my…
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Sins of the Father
Many times, I’ve told myself that I’m my own worst enemy–my own harshest critic. Perfection has been my goal for as long as I can remember. Sometimes this exaggerated need compels me to stop short of completing a task because I know, just know, it won’t be perfect. The roots of this behavior are multi-generational.
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Time Served
He died without ever paying his debt. Others in our family speak fondly of him even naming their children after him. I have a totally different memory of the man. I was always afraid of him. He was a big, gruff, crude, loud bully who shoved his weight around in every environment he was ever…
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