THE GREEN STAIN

“Hurry UP! We’re going to be late to school!” If only I had a nickel for every time I said that.  Two days before Christmas break and there were too many distractions in the house for an eight-year-old to be on time for anything.  “Don…

HOT CHEETOS AND MISSED I LOVE YOU’S, ONE MOM’S ACCOUNT OF TERROR IN HAWAII

The are many stories of people in Hawaii who lived through the “Big Oops” accidental ballistic missile alert. Stories of sheer panic as children were lowered into manholes and families rushed to find shelter. Stories of tears and prayers and frantic calls to tell loved ones goodbye. Even…

My Unexpected Christmas Eve Gift

It was Christmas Eve and we were returning home from church. My daughter had chosen to drive by herself, something she was doing more as distance inexplicably grew between us. We weren’t far behind her when she called.  “Mom, I found a dog…” She had seen…

To The Woman Who Brought Her Child To the Movies, What Were You Thinking?

You were sitting right in front of me and I get that you probably wanted to go to the movies as badly as I did. I get that you probably hadn’t been out of the house for weeks, or maybe months and needed the break. I share your…

Memorial Day Memories

I was eleven when I learned what Memorial Day meant.   I woke up one morning to the hushed voice of my mother as she spoke to someone on the phone.  I could tell something had happened because she never used that tone of voice unless something was serious. Only able…

I Admit It, I Am A Privileged Parent. But Not The Way You Think.

I feel sorry for privileged parents. You know, the kind. The ones with perfect kids. Mostly because they have no idea they even have privilege, but also because they really think (if they are totally honest) their kid’s success is largely due to them. Why do I know…

Why I’m Mad I Had To Say Good-Bye To Princess Leia

When I woke up to the news of Princess Leia’s passing, frankly, I was surprised by how much I actually cared. Thanks to my timezone, Facebook was already inundated by my friends jumping on the trending train — blaming 2016 for the loss of another beloved celebrity. 2016…

The REAL Secret To Avoiding Holiday Stress

It’s the middle of December and the other day I came across a list of 25 expert ways to beat holiday stress. So, since I was feeling a little bit stressed I jumped right in. But I never got to the end because somewhere between getting more sunlight, avoiding…

The Saddest Gift Of Alzheimer’s

My mom was my best friend.  There was nothing I couldn’t tell her and she was always there for me. Her joyful, “Hello” every time I called, regardless of whether I had just spoken to her five minutes ago or not, always felt like a huge hug. I loved…

The Life Changing Power Of Paperclips

I stumbled across a life changing article recently. It was called “God of the Paperclips”  —  a title so intriguing I put my coffee down, quickly swallowed the last bite of my banana and immediately clicked the link. What followed was a great perspective on God’s…