It doesn't happen often, but occasionally, a milestone will catch me off-guard. Sometimes sentiment bubbles up and swells into tears. Other times, pride, excitement, and deepening relationship with my growing-up boys casts sparkling light on a new day that makes it easier to relinquish their...
It started like a mostly ordinary Monday, except that I had a morning professional phone call that ran long and my husband got started to work late because he had masterfully been keeping our sons from banging on my door during the call. Then we...
Anyone else have memories of walking into an office at 7:00 a.m. and opening Outlook, complete with color-coded flags, alerts, reminders, and perfectly prioritized task lists? Organization with a side of coffee and an hour of quiet before the rat race reruns begin. So structured, so...
“Rain, rain, go away!” I sang, trying to cheer my cabin fever frustrated sons. Several days of continuous downpour had us all antsy for sunshine. We decided to "set up shop," using a large tumbling mat to construct the back and side walls of our new building....
Sometimes I catch myself trying to be more than a mom to my boys. It was subtle at first, so subtle it took me awhile to recognize what was happening; but when the realization finally tiptoed into my awareness, I knew exactly what stood behind...
Happy almost Valentine's Day, everybody! Did you just say, "ugh"? I definitely heard a silent ugh. Or was that in my own head? :) Don't get me wrong, I'm undeniably romantic. But Valentine's Day rolls around each year and feels a little forced and fabricated; all flashy...
What is it about beginnings anyway? Such a two-sided coin: all the anticipation of what good may come, with the shadows of doubt, dread, and despair lingering nearby; always poised to creep closer, frenemies forever willing to help us "keep it real." SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD...
How much do you know about your family history? As a young girl, I remember listening while my great-grandmother, born in 1900 to an English immigrant and his wife, sat in a puffy blue recliner weaving together stories about the "way things were" in the rural Midwest. My...
Does Thanksgiving give anyone else "spiritual" anxiety? If I’m honest, reflecting on blessings is sometimes hard. Not because I have a shortage of things for which to be thankful, but because I’m never quite sure my heart is as thankful as it should be. Give two seconds' thought...
These last few weeks have been anything but quiet: We had a serious health scare with an immediate family member; the kind of scare that leads to strings of sleepless nights, travels, phone calls, research, and endless tearful prayers. My husband is bogged down with freelance work...