Through the years, I’ve learned that when I don’t look at the whole picture before I say yes to a request, I make myself crazy and my family miserable. When people ask for help, I jump in and rarely leave margin for myself. At least, I used to. Now I pause. I am a recovering…
A couple of years ago, I needed to sew a hem in some pants for my son for his choir concert. At that time, the most sewing experience I had was a semester in seventh grade. I had forgotten most of the basics, and the sewing machine I owned was still in the box. So,…
We all have likes and dislikes that make us unique. We form allegiances and make them part of our identity. We proudly proclaim our loyalty to a person, place, or thing, perhaps by wearing our college apparel well past our higher education days or by tattooing the initials of our kids or spouse on our…
Summer camp was an annual adventure when I was growing up. Something about a week in a cabin full of girls my age was so enchanting. Like most of us who’ve had this experience, I always left with a set of newfound best friends who promised to stay in touch. Inevitably, we didn’t, but those…
Nathan, one of the main characters in Wendell Berry’s novel, Hannah Coulter, has seen war up close and personally. Lucky enough to make it home from World War II, Nathan knows how savage the wide world can be. When he returns from his front-row seat at the Battle of Okinawa, all he wants to do…
I was on the phone with a friend the other night for two hours. I was facing a big deadline—800 words to be exact—but I also knew that my friend needed me. Her situation is probably not unlike yours in some way or another. She’s facing family struggles, a relative’s death, indecision about her future,…