parents

Poetry·Jude Stumpf, age 8 — A child connects Van Gogh's Starry Night to moments with parents—dad at the museum, mom watching them draw—finding calm in the painting above their bed.

Story·Meg Simpson, age 10 — A twelve-year-old faces peer pressure when her best friend Lauren shoplifts and tries to involve her, leading to difficult choices about friendship and integrity.

Story·Luke Zellman — A five-year-old girl contemplates the nature of waiting after missing a horseback ride, discovering through conversation with her father that waiting gives life meaning.

Story·Annie Strother, age 12 — A five-year-old girl sits by a lake at sunset, contemplating why everything in life requires waiting, until her father helps her understand its purpose.

Story·Susan Decker, age 9 — A girl reluctantly cleans her room instead of playing computer games, rediscovering lost toys and finding satisfaction in organizing her belongings.

Story·Kirsten Moon, age 13 — A girl visits her mother's grave before moving across the country, bringing roses and struggling to say goodbye until a mysterious breeze brings comfort.

Story·Annie Strother, age 13 — A thirteen-year-old reflects on her nomadic life in her parents' van, arriving in their thirty-second town while longing for the stability of a real home.

Poetry·Laberije Shala, age 13 — A young refugee from Kosovo mourns her father's death, expressing the emptiness of life without him and her identity as an orphan who brings roses to his grave.

Story·Alex Mifflin, age 12 — A 12-year-old recounts his family's devastating car crash in Australia, his role as the only uninjured member, and their long recovery together.

Story·Naomi Rowsell, age 12 — A girl recalls weekly trips with her father to meet the Nordic Express freight boat, sharing quiet moments of connection through held hands and vending machine treats.