I remember her determination. That’s what I remember the most. It was the first week of the new year, and my friend was, as my grandmother used to say, “bound and determined.” This year would be different. This year would be the year everything lined up straight, nothing stepping out of line. All her goals…
guest post
A Thousand Times, Yes
I was sitting at a table in a Starbucks seven hours away from home. We’d come under the pretense of wanting coffee, but the real reason was we needed to feel normal for an hour. After ordering, we crowded tightly around the table. Our seven-year-old was watchful as I gently pulled the week-old baby from…
Simplicity and Front Doors
Dishes are stacked high in both sinks, spilling over on to the counter tops. Of course, there are also the stock pots on the stove, waiting to be scrubbed down. Trails of bread crumbs meander through the house, evidence of children who found the table to be too crowded with adult conversation. Hardened, dried spaghetti…
Memories and Remembering: How Advent Gets it Right {guest post}
A couple of weeks ago, I described my family’s tree decorating scenario to a friend. Full of whining, disciplining, grumbling, and short tempers, it was a not the memory-making night I had planned, and my friend laughed when she said she knew exactly what I meant. She gave me a rundown of the hectic experience…
An Invitation to Hurt is an Invitation to Trust: guest post at The Content Mom
There was no way we could hide it from him. We’d brought a baby home with every intention of adopting him, but the entire process was being derailed. Our seven-year-old was with us from the moment the plan began to unravel, and I knew I couldn’t hide it. He was watching and asking valid questions….
I Took a Baby to the Beach: Guest Post at Tribe Magazine
There’s a popular meme that pops up on the internet from time to time with that scene from the original Jurassic Park movie where one of the characters stands with his arms splayed out as he carefully backs away from the group of vicious velociraptors that are encircling him. This image is not unlike the…