Thanks For The Facebook Memories
Did you know that I’m so old I joined Facebook when you still needed a .edu email address? This will not surprise my children; they already think I’m ancient. I remember being excited when I was finally issued my college email, it felt so grown up. Compared to my first Hotmail user name, which was a silly collection of things I liked followed by a number, I guess it was pretty grown up. So, one of the first things I did with it was sign up for The Facebook. Yes, The Facebook, not just Facebook. Google says they dropped the “The” my first semester of college, so there you go.…
New Year, Fickle Me
The clock and calendar did their collective roll into 2022, and nothing changed. Admittedly, I was asleep for the occasion, but it appears Tinkerbell did not come in and tap her magic wand and make everything better. Fireworks didn’t shower us with life-changing embers as they twinkled and fell to the ground. Neither was there dissipating magic at the stroke of midnight turning everything back into pumpkins and mice— after all, no one would accuse 2021 of being magical. We simply finished one year with its mix of highs and lows, grief and joy, fun and hardship, and were ushered into a new one that will have its own unique…
Growing Up & Living the Dream
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” When asked, my oldest has answered a police officer for as long as I can remember. His younger brother chooses firefighter. They’ve gotten in their heads that it’s a team thing, like Chase and Marshall on Paw Patrol, or Chase and Heatwave on Rescue Bots— or whatever other kid show is out there with a cop character named Chase. My boys see themselves as a team; it’s sweet. It remains to be seen what they’ll pursue as they get older and realize there are a million and one opportunities in the world. But asking the question is a fun way…
Hello July!
It’s July, my favorite month of the year! It is the month that we celebrate America’s birthday, Flash’s birthday (y’all remember that wild day), my birthday, and my anniversary. When I think of this month, I think of watermelon and sweet tea, sunshine and sunburns, summer vacation and celebrations. My husband gets a little tired of all these dates to recognize, but sorry, not sorry; I love any excuse to eat charcoal-grilled hamburgers and have cake. This year, July is more dear to me than usual. It is month 7 of the calendar year, meaning we did it; we have survived half of 2020 and this crazy roller coaster we’re…
Holding Hope
I’m sitting in the shade of my patio, listening to crickets chirp, leaves rustle, and cars pass by in the distance. It’s time to write, the opportunity is ripe, but the clacking of my keys is sparse. I keep looking around me, taking my eyes away from the blinking line awaiting my words, words that don’t want to make the journey from my brain to my fingertips and into this digital world. My eyes continually flit back to the porcelain mug on my glass top table. Drips of coffee have dried on its white surface, there’s a smudge of peanut butter from my breakfast, and the words hope*writers stare back…
Pulling Weeds
These last weeks I have watched our yard come vibrantly to life. The barren brown landscape offered its first hints of color a couple of months ago but held tightly with bated breath. Nature has finally exhaled and brought to life the leaves on our Aspen trees now flickering in the wind, the blossoms on lilac bushes peaking through with clumps of color, and a sprout of what I hope is sage popping out from beneath the faded, old mulch. This beauty should have been enough to force me outdoors to begin the maintenance of such gifts, but it wasn’t. Instead, I watched from my window and enjoyed the view,…
Making Lemonade
Distance learning in a time of coronavirus is officially over. My children and I have survived the work and each other, and now we’re on to sunny days and freedom (ish). In the end, it worked out surprisingly well for our family. My son, who’s task-oriented, did well working through his daily checklist. At the same time, my free-spirited preschooler was able to incorporate learning throughout the day as opportunities naturally arose. Our daughter even practiced her trunk and head control by watching her preschool teachers read books. It’s not how I imagined ending a school year. I’d have assumed that the only way I’d be teaching my kids from…
Cultivating Spring
Spring is here. We’re finally getting those first days of 70-degree weather, and the sun is shining her brilliance across blue skies. The brown, dry, brittle colors of winter are giving way to the vibrancy of new buds and blossoms. Beauty springs forth as new life breaks through. New beginnings emerge with the rebirth of plants that looked dead. The tips of barren trees become round and form tiny buds full of potential. Blossoms breakthrough and green reclaims its ground. Despite my appreciation of nature, I’ve never been one to cultivate it. Instead, I watch with excitement as spring tiptoes in, quietly restoring beauty to a barren landscape, and hope…
Bubble Baths & Long Talks
My hands felt sweaty on the microphone, and there was a faint shake to them, a combination of coffee and nerves. Some people have fantastic stage presence, they step in front of a crowd, and a dynamic alter ego breaks through. Me, not so much. I was my usual brand of sincerity, awkward authenticity, and random movie quotes. I did it anyway. I stood on the small stage in front of 20 some women and shared my heart and God’s wisdom. I spoke about self-care, which I would never have imagined wanting to talk about, let alone fill 45 minutes of time on. After all, the topic and I have…
In Defense Of…
Tears slid down my cheeks in a steady flow, creating tracks through my makeup and collecting at my chin until they released in fat droplets. The grey of my dress darkened where each one splattered on the fabric. I occasionally wiped at my chin, involuntarily brushing away tears that tickled my skin. I sat with my husband and our adoption social worker, and together we faced a selection of hospital representatives. The table was large for our small group, able to fit double the amount of current occupants. I was thankful that the wide span of the table created a gap between us so that I didn’t have to sit…
