Chuck Schading

My boss Tom Skinner was a ballbuster if there ever was one, but he’d agreed to let me leave the farm an hour early every Friday so I could go see Maggie. Visiting hours ended at six though, so by the time I was able to catch the bus to St. Regis Hospital, I only had about 45 minutes with her every week. Skinner docked me that hour of pay too, by the way, so I had to walk the three miles into work when I couldn’t afford the bus some mornings.

Of course I asked for more time off, especially once Janie started drinking more because she couldn’t bring herself to visit and see our daughter in that state. But Skinner would always say, “I need you, Harv. You know it’s our busy time. I can’t do it without you.”

It was always our busy time. 

Always. 

And I’ll tell you what, it never gets easier seeing your own little girl in one of those big iron lungs, barely hanging on. Eyes closed. Looking so tiny. 

Never.

You can read more of this story in the San Antonio Review: https://sanantonioreview.org/2026/04/21/and-the-cow-jumped-over-the-moon/