River Gulls and the Misconception of Milestones
On cold winter days , she used to beg her father to take her to the Mississippi river 's edge . She loved the way the cold wind felt on her pale , wind-flushed cheeks . She marveled at the sheets of ice that would give the fearless little girl the urge to jump on and see where the river would take her, but most of all , that little girl loved the gulls . She enjoyed watching them fly above her head , and the sounds always made her giggle in delight - so many squawks. She also adored feeding them the stale bread from their pantry . The way they skimmed the water to grab the soggy piece of discarded food , the way they would fight each other for alternating bites . She used to give them names and pretend that they were a gigantic family who relied on her and daddy to feed them in the winter . A family who cherished her as much as she did them. Her father would watch , i