In the foyer of our home, right inside our blue front door, is a rectangular canvas tote. It has (somewhat affectionately) been named our “COVID canvas.” It has collected all the trappings of our “COVID normal.” A calendar, a pen, and a thermometer to faithfully mark each school morning. Lanyards with the beaded names of…
I am now in my forties. For many years, I said that while my “ideal self” gardened, my real self never did. I’m not sure exactly what held me up. A few moves, worries about critters eating stuff, and probably more than a little intimidation fueled by inexperience. But this year, I finally did it….
I really prefer to be a yes girl. I can say no, but I’d rather say yes. When someone asks something of me, I usually try and figure out how I can make it work. That can make December a hard month. Can I make cookies for the school holiday party? I’m sure I can….
It should be crystal clear by now that what I propose in this book is not my natural disposition. Please don’t think this stuff comes easy for me. I’m no kindness poster child. I’d much rather slap Mister Rogers or Mother Teresa on any billboard to represent the simple difference. My likeness is quick to…
I grew up in a traditional Bible Belt church in Texas. The church—and when I say “church,” I mean the people not the building—was instrumental in solidifying my faith. There were many sermons about how to share our faith with others, but this topic always felt scary to me. What if I didn’t get the…
After a grueling season of working twelve-hour days, seven days a week, my husband’s time off finally arrived! When you work in football, you do not have the freedom to choose your vacation time, but you do get almost four glorious weeks off each summer. We had made our plans, filling these long-anticipated days with…