A Glimpse into the Thoughts & Imaginings of Vibeke Hiatt
Happy Boy is happy when he’s learning. Even though Mom tells him that it’s summer vacation and they aren’t having preschool, he wants to learn. So she buys him a small workbook. He finishes it, cover to cover, in two hours. She buys a large workbook. He finishes it in two days. Aunt Kissa buys … Read more
He is a few months shy of a year old, but already Friendly Boy is the long-suffering little brother. Happy Boy pulls him around as they “play,” happily smothering Friendly Boy with love. He piles on blankets and pillows, pretending they are a baby machine, ocean waves, or mountain caves. Mommy has to intervene so … Read more
Originally Published November 2017 My life is a paradox. At least it is right now. I know that if I eat healthier, go outside more, and get daily exercise, the anxiety and depression I suffer with will subside. But because of my anxiety and depression, I feel nervous about going outside, have no motivation to … Read more
Originally Published April 2018 The library. A magical realm where everything is possible. A place of quiet where imagination is unbound. A repository of knowledge where questions are answered. As a girl, I wanted to live in the library. As a woman, I still feel the same. I can imagine a small room with a … Read more
Originally Published June 2018 At the age of 37, I experienced another first. A couple of weeks ago, our family went to the beach. This wasn’t just standing by the sea and watching the waves or dipping my toes in the ocean, but walking barefoot in the sand, wading waist-deep in the water, and searching … Read more
Friendly Boy has been charming everyone around him since birth. The nurses who took his measurements just minutes into his life couldn’t get enough of his big eyes and tall frame. He only cried when he was hungry, and even then only in a polite way. Happy Boy was excited to meet his brother and, … Read more
It started at Mormor’s house. Their 5-year-old cousin took some puzzles out of the toy cabinet and asked Happy Boy if he wanted to do them together. Happy Boy nodded. Once his cousin showed him how they worked, he was transfixed. For a couple of hours he put together one puzzle after another, even after … Read more
Happy Boy and Sassy Girl are best friends. They have been since the day they met. When Mommy and Daddy brought Sassy Girl home from the hospital, Happy Boy couldn’t stop talking about her—in his unintelligible, 1 1/2-year-old way. Of course, she couldn’t do much at that age. Happy Boy could hardly wait until she … Read more
I take a deep breath and wonder, Am I ready to take on this fight? All day I have done my best to entertain two small children, cuddling a baby who will only on my shoulder, while also trying to inspire her brother to build rocket ships and robots with his blocks—instead of taking every … Read more
John ran as hard as he could, pushing himself more than he ever had before. Still, his destination didn’t appear to be any closer. He tried to take a few seconds to catch his breath, but the sound of horses behind him compelled him to keep moving forward. The horses— “Mom! Mom! Look at my … Read more