“This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” someone in my hiking crew declared, as we took in the cliffs, pastures, and sheep. Just a bit further up the trail, we rounded a corner and enjoyed another beautiful vista. “This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen!” someone else exclaimed. The refrain became…
I have a problem with prayer. The older I get, the more I realize that throughout my life, I have treated prayer like a magic formula. If I could get the order of the words just right or say the right words, then my wish would come true. I treated God like a powerful wizard…
On summer evenings, we love to have friends over for dinner in the backyard. While the kids roast marshmallows and play basketball, we linger under the string lights at the outdoor table long after the meal is over. It’s actually as idyllic as it sounds, at least until someone gets stabbed with a marshmallow stick….
The past year has been quite a struggle in many ways, and I’d like to say I’ve learned a lot in the process. Truthfully, it’s probably too soon to tell. Between working from home full-time, dealing with the stress of the pandemic, processing my anxiety and past trauma in therapy, and ensuring the stock of…
Growing up in Florida, I never experienced four distinct seasons. When I migrated north in my late thirties, I quickly realized I did not care for snow, but I was captivated by the daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths that seemed to burst from the ground just as the snow melted. It still fascinates me that, after…
I had never experienced anything like it. I was in labor with my second child. Naively, I thought that the second labor would be like the first—some pain, a doctor visit to check progress, a trip to the hospital, admittance and assessment, epidural, baby. In my mind, I never entertained the idea that the second…