Silence is the sharper sword.  ~Samuel Johnson

As Ariana headed off to bed tonight, she gave me a peck and a squeeze like she always does, but there was a deafening silence that accompanied the token ritual affection.

She didn’t say that she loved me.

She always tells me that she loves me before she goes to bed.

First day of school (August 2009)

I was awfully hard on her today when she reviewed her graded work from the past week with me and it wasn’t up to snuff.

Too hard on her.

But she never said anything when I harshly chastized her.

She never does.

She just sits and quietly cries.

Oh, may I learn to bite my tongue so that sweet Ariana doesn’t have to bite hers.