Category Archives: Courage

Love, Honor, and Compassion

Posted on November 7, 2016 by aamontgomery

Grandfather, Sacred One, teach us love, compassion, and honor that we may heal the earth and heal each other. ~ Native American Ojibwa Prayer Perhaps growing up poor gave me a natural affinity for Native Americans and other people who were … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Beauty, Books, Childhood, Courage, Family, Freedom, Friends, Ideas, Love, Op/Ed Thoughts, Photography, Women, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Daddy’s Last Vote

Posted on October 1, 2016 by aamontgomery

When I was a child in the early 1960s, my world was a fog of (1) trying to figure out the inexplicable behavior of the adults around me, (2) hoping to discern what they wanted me to do, and (3) … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Childhood, Courage, Family, Freedom, Knoxville, Op/Ed Thoughts, Tribute | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

My Winking Valentine

Posted on July 11, 2016 by aamontgomery

Yesterday I went to see Daddy who was sitting in the chair of his transitional care unit (TCU) room at the hospital. TCU, yes, but not the university located in Ft. Worth, Texas. With his brand new hip and Mama … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Beauty, Courage, Dementia, Family, Happiness, Love, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

I Will Remember

Posted on June 30, 2016 by aamontgomery

  A week ago, my sister Lisa called me and said our father had fallen on his way into his senior living facility after she and Mama had taken him outside. She said he crumpled, as if in slow motion, … Continue reading →

Posted in Alzheimer's, Autobiographical, Bruce Springsteen, Childhood, Courage, Family, Happiness, Love | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Living in a Self-Help Storage Facility

Posted on May 31, 2016 by aamontgomery

A month or so ago, my father’s senior living facility scheduled a family members meeting. Although Daddy–due to his dementia–is in the memory care “retreat” area, the meeting also included family members from the assisted living side of the facility. Facilitated … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Courage, Family, Knoxville, Love | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Our Corner That Keeps Flapping Around

Posted on March 31, 2016 by aamontgomery

Nearly twenty years ago, my father Roy Allen retired at the age of 62. Daddy’s passions were (1) his family (especially his fellow sports maniac, his grandson Justin), (2) Lady Vol basketball, (3) New York Yankees baseball, and (4) traveling … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Courage, Family, Happiness, Joy (Joie de General), Love, Tribute, Wonder, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Grace’s Son, Tom Parkhill

Posted on January 24, 2016 by aamontgomery

When I was growing up in East Tennessee just across the river from downtown in South Knoxville, I went to school with a rather extraordinary guy named Tom Parkhill. Our parents were friends so we would occasionally go over to … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Courage, Family, Friends, Happiness, Knoxville, Love, Stage, Tribute, Women, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Caught a Long Wind

Posted on December 31, 2015 by aamontgomery

As Dickens wrote in his 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities about London and Paris during the French Revolution of the late 1770s: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Blooming, Childhood, Courage, Family, Home | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

More Than Enough

Posted on November 28, 2015 by aamontgomery

For all those of you who believe your life is over when you turn 30 or 40 or 50, I have a secret for you: I have passed those milestones and have never been happier, looked better, enjoyed life more, … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Blooming, Courage, Family, Happiness, Home, Joy (Joie de General) | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The Cure for the Pain

Posted on October 31, 2015 by aamontgomery

By some peculiar alchemy of dementia, there are flashes of light when the seeming blindness of Daddy’s soul and withdrawal from everything around him subside. At those moments, there is a window to Daddy who is occasionally still there in his once … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, Courage, Love, Tribute | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments