October
The first two times we found out that I was pregnant, we quickly told friends and family our exciting news. When we found out we were pregnant with our third child, we held it close, a happy secret shared between the two of us. We felt like we...
The Best Medicine
There is so much heaviness in the world. I don’t think anyone watches the news these days and feels good about what they are seeing, regardless of their political affiliation. Look away from the news, and there is still so much brokenness,...
What Happens Online…
Imagine there is a place you visit every day. In that space you can meet and interact with people you know and love. You can make new friends, get support, have a laugh, find inspiration, and get connected with friends and family. Imagine that...
The Color of Anxiety
Picture a box of brand new, freshly opened Crayola crayons. A 120 pack, with all the colors sharpened and neatly lined up. See the various shades and colors, standing straight and tall in their coordinated rows. Smell the new crayon smell. Look...
Denial
One day last spring we were sitting at our dining room table eating breakfast. My middle daughter looked up at me and proclaimed, “My stomach doesn’t hurt.” I told her I was glad to hear it and asked if it had hurt earlier. “Nope. It doesn’t...
About My Hair
My first memory of feeling insecure has to do with my hair. It was the lightest of blonds when I was little; thick, coarse, frizzy, and wholly different than any other little girls’ I knew. Strangers at the store or at church would ask if they...
This Isn’t Forever
Friday morning I was sitting at my dining room table fighting back tears. I felt emotionally and physically exhausted and overwhelmed by the noise and chaos of my house and my looming to do list. Nothing about the way the day had started felt...
Holding Tight, Letting Go
In one week and one day, the big yellow school bus will resume its route, stopping at the street corner right in front of my house. My two oldest children will get on the bus, headed to their first days of second and fourth grade. I will hold...
It Takes A Little Time
I don’t have a whole lot of experience with gardens and I know next to nothing about plants. But I am married to someone who knows about these things, so we are on year number 3 of having a garden. And maybe it’s silly, but the process never...
Enjoy Every Minute
I have this vivid memory of standing outside the church one hot July morning. I was pacing with a screaming newborn, hoping that the congregation couldn’t hear her cries above the music. A sweet older woman walked past and smiled. “Enjoy every...