When Words Fail
I am a words person. I love the written word and the spoken word. I love listening to people say the words and I love saying them myself. It constantly amazes me how something with no physical substance can have the power to create, destroy,...
Slow, Slow
This winter I fell in love with tea. My love affair with coffee runs long and deep, but my love for tea is new and exciting. It sounds a little crazy, but part of what I love about both coffee and tea is the ritual and the required delayed...
One Small Story
I’ve had some disheartening interactions lately. None of them have been a big deal, but they’ve all reminded me that the world is not as kind, safe, and gentle as I would like it to be. I write and talk a lot about how most of us are doing the...
Grounding
I have this random but remarkably clear memory from my teenage years. I was sitting at the dining room table, crying over some soon-forgotten drama. It could’ve been friends or school or boys, but I was sitting at the table sobbing. It was dark...
Quiet Work
When I was little I had visions of stardom. I can remember being six or seven and standing in front of the bathroom mirror, pretending to be in a shampoo commercial. I had the door half open, and part way through my commercial I became aware...
A Wall I Can’t Climb
It’s not that the first thirty years of my life were perfectly charmed. I had my share of struggles and heartbreak and hard times. There were many times that I drew on the strength and love of my family and friends. Yet, I always had a clear...
Projection
The other day my husband made a mistake that ended up causing us quite a bit of stress and hassle. It wasn’t intentional or malicious in the least; just a clear case of missing something that needed to be attended to. I was the one who caught...
I Dressed Myself!
My youngest daughter loves make up and all things fluffy and twirly. She also loves running and playing and climbing. Most days she picks out her own clothes, so you will often find her in tennis shoes or snow boots, jeans with holes in the...
Finding Friends
It can be incredibly difficult to make friends as an adult. This challenge has been highlighted for me every time I've made a major move. My first transplant as an adult took me to Tennessee for graduate school. I moved with a good friend and...
Sorry
The other day we had company coming over. It’s winter in Chicago, so of course, there’s weather. It was cold and damp and our driveway was a little slushy. As my company came in the door, taking off boots and shedding coats, I found myself...