Grace

Have you ever had a secret? One that you had to keep from everyone? One that was surely worse than everyone else’s secrets?

I carried the weight of a secret, and it wore me down. It kept me turning in bed when I desperately needed sleep. It masked the bright flavors of my favorite foods. It dulled the colors of my world. Continue reading

Regurgitation and Redemption: More than Just a Puke Post

Last Saturday, my oldest son came down with a stomach virus that only lasted a couple hours. On Tuesday, the middle one had it; he bounced back quickly too. On Thursday, the youngest was a bit off–not much appetite, a few bad diapers–that whole thing. Continue reading

Great Expectations

When my son Gray was three years old, my mom stopped by our house and uttered these fateful words: I have something for you.

What is it, Grandma? What is it? He eyed the plastic shopping bag, imagining all the wonderful things it could contain…

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Like a Girl

As I watched the Always #LikeAGirl commercial during Superbowl XLIX, scenes from decades past flooded my mind; scenes that shaped my self-image and defined what it meant for me to act like a girl, to live like a girl– scenes revealing why that definition changed over the course of my life. Continue reading

The Things We do for Love (Dirty Jobs: Daughter Edition)

My dad had hip replacement surgery last Friday. The procedure went well, and he was discharged on Sunday, with physical therapy scheduled for Monday. My mom got sick on Sunday night, and couldn’t bring him to his appointment. I volunteered to transport him to and from therapy. He called that morning and explained that he really needed bathing. Could I pick him up early and bring him to my Nana’s house so he could use her walk-in shower? An hour later, we were standing in her bathroom, unloading my dad’s Pert Plus and Irish Spring  from a ratty blue duffle bag. Continue reading

It’s a What?

Dear Friends,

The following post addresses mixed emotions that some pregnant mommas experience about having a boy or a girl, when they hoped, perhaps even secretly, for the other gender.

I’ve hesitated writing this post, because I have some cherished friends in my life who have struggled with infertility or have experienced the loss of a baby. I have been too afraid they would read the post and think how insensitive the subject matter is, or that they would wonder “How could someone be disappointed with the gender of their baby when I can’t even have a baby?” Continue reading

Come Inside

The holiday season has passed, and we trudge now into the long stretch of winter. This period is a quiet one. Sleigh bells and doorbells (and that deafening bell at the grocery store entrance) have ceased ringing. Choruses of voices, lulled. Continue reading

Guys and Dolls: The Update

Hello, Friends!

I hope your Christmas was meaningful and merry, and that you’ve had a little time this weekend to recoup from the excitement.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the decision to give my 21-month-old son a doll for Christmas. You can read the original post here: Guys and Dolls

I promised an after-Christmas update on how the doll was received by a family of three boys. Here it is… Continue reading

The Only Prayer

I couldn’t do crowds and lines this year. I skipped shopping at the mall. I skipped parties and white elephant gift exchanges. It was just too much to keep going out when I wanted to keep going in. Continue reading