My First “Letter to my Girl”

You could have been Alice. Or Lydia. Or Hannah.

I guess you could have been Rizpah, too, since the set of names really was just those from the Old Testament; we narrowed it down quickly to a few that we thought sounded nice: Elisabeth, Lydia, Miriam…

One Child Left Behind

Today your parents went to the mat for you, Joseph.

You were so excited for school. Who wouldn’t be? It was the designated day for the super-blowout, no-holds-barred, extravaganza field trip to the Living Planet Aquarium.

A Man of God

Joseph, you’re a believer, like your father. Sure, you question authority (like your father), but in the end, your faith is strong.

I’m so proud of you for getting baptized last month. And like I said in your confirmation blessing, you decided to get baptized knowing much more…

Waiting and Loving

“You brother loves you,” I tell Joseph yesterday.

“Except when we fight.”

Well, yes, there’s that. True enough.

But they ususally don’t fight, and I was really impressed and moved to see just how much Gabriel didn’t…

My Mom the Queen

By Joseph Stowell, delivered Mother’s Day 2016.

Good morning. My name is Joseph Aniefiok Stowell.

My middle name is from the Ibibio language. It means “one who knows.” I was named in honor of my uncle, who died before my mom and dad got married.

It’s Too Loud

Improvised noise-canceling earphones.

On Weapons and Toys

If you ever decide to become a professional comic, Joseph, you’ll have plenty of material.

It’s almost obligatory for comedians these days to lament — in a humorous way, of course — how deprived they were growing up.

Gabe Loves Apples

It is Sunday. I am sitting on the rostrum. Mormons call it, “the stand.”

Mom, Joseph, and Gabriel come in about ten minutes late. Gabriel is munching on an apple.

Gabe loves apples. The day before, I caught him devouring this one: