other pieces
(a sampling...some published, some not)
He ain't heavy Father, he's my brother.
Synopsis: Had I exposed myself to the virus? Maybe, but at that very moment,
family mattered more."
And So, We Donate
Synopsis: "We saved some lives. It took about two hours. So, what did you do today?
Read about why we regularly donate."
An Awfully Awkward and Quiet Thanksgiving Dinner
Synopsis: Thanksgiving dinners are often memorable—some more so than others. One time, Dad decided we'd go cut down some trees, hours before the family feast. We promised to be home in time for dinner. We weren’t.
I’m Coming With You
Synopsis: “We may never know the lives we’ve touched until one day, and if we’re lucky, we do.
This is one such story.”
An Angel In Therapeutic Shoes
Synopsis: When a stroke claimed her ability to speak, she desperately needed to say just two words. Helping an angel’s wish to come true
An hour to chat (Updated version)
Synopsis: If you could spend one hour talking with anyone, living or not, who would you choose?
This history buff made his choice!
A father's undying love
Synopsis: A short but powerful piece about the true meaning of Memorial Day
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
We weren't there to surf or to fish
Synopsis: While the beach and I have been the best of friends—the sun, the surf, the
sand and me, we weren’t there to surf or to fish.
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
Suddenly Smitten
Synopsis: Momentarily mesmerized, I failed to notice that we'd previously met.
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
My most perfect present
Synopsis: Some memories of Christmas presents past remain as strong today as
they were back in the day.
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
God Bless you too, Santa.
Synopsis: A seventeen year old dishwasher dressed as Santa Claus comforts a bedridden
nursing home patient during her final moments.
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
Thank you, Mark
Synopsis: Home from basic training, Mark found himself being thanked by strangers for
his service. “I haven’t done anything,” he’d say, but I very much disagreed, after all,
he did so much more
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
Out there on the beam
Synopsis: We wish we could forever keep our children safe, but of course, we can’t. When my daughter began competing on the balance beam as a member of her high school gymnastics team my paternal fears suddenly knew no bounds!
CLICK TO READ STORY
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
Lessons learned from Whoville (Updated version)
Synopsis: After the devastation, who'd have thought a children's
story presented in rhymed verse could have provided such a relevant
message of hope for so many volunteers doing such remarkable things?
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
Camping with Assateague Raccoons
Synopsis: She said I'd love camping on Assateague. She was wrong, but in
time I'd come to love it.
CLICK TO READ STORY
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
A winter's walk on Assateague Island
Synopsis: Being on the island had always been a warm weather experience, synonymous with lounging in a sand chair—a cold beer in my hand while basking in the warmth of the summer
sun, but one afternoon in late December everything changed.
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
An ironic injustice (Updated)
Synopsis: My son, Michael and a friend saved someone for drowning and for their actions received a summons for illegal swimming.
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
Hope's name is Danny (Updated)
Synopsis: He didn't think twice about saving the life of a stranger; about becoming a bone marrow donor—even as the process prior to donating made him sicker than he'd ever felt before.
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
If only it were summer
Synopsis: Dreaming of summer, the beach and the ocean—therapeutic salves for those of us winter-weary souls.
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
My most memorable kiss
Synopsis: I was twelve when my crush gave me my first kiss and just a little bit more!
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
My father's son
Synopsis: Too often we lament the loss of words left unsaid after the passing of a loved one, but when my dad passed away what remained was far better.
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
Thanks a lot, Cancer
Synopsis: Something I never thought I'd say about this topic: Thanks for being my wakeup call; for reminding me how precious life is.
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
That's what good teachers do
Synopsis: Today's teachers work within an environment which has been poisoned by elected officials who publicly proclaim the totality of our schools as failure factories—all the while putting their students first and foremost.
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
Tracy's kitchen center:
Synopsis: It was a reluctant reality that this father was beginning to realize—daddy’s little girl was growing up. No longer was I the slayer of her dragons, the great daddy and hero, and still, I celebrated the past while looking forward to the future.
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
Whales on the bed
Synopsis: Parental love is not bound by the restraints of time
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com
The coming storm
Synopsis: The excitement is contagious and if everything goes as it should, this storm
will rage on, hopefully well into the fall.
for questions or comments, contact: stephenrusiniak@yahoo.com