Today I encountered a woman screaming at her children because she wanted to take a photo of them smiling in front of a lake. Her kids were grinning at each other, at passers by, up at the cloudless sky, across the gleaming water– they were smiling at everything except for their mom. In fact, they…
An excerpt from the book I’m working on- prose and essays on motherhood. The first timeA short service On a crisp spring dayStars in our eyesPromises on our lipsI doAnd I do, too The second timeA 3-day ceremonySoundtracked by tears and breaths In perfect synchronyWorking to bring our creationEarthside and into our arms The third time Standing in…
This past weekend, on Saturday, August 14th, my grandfather passed away. It’s strange writing this out knowing that his email address is subscribed to my blog, so as soon as I hit “publish”, an inbox that used to belong to my grandpa will get a notification announcing his passing. It’s all just…strange. Two weeks ago,…
People talk about the big moments of parenting. The things your spouse will do that make you fall more in or out of love with them as you embark on the daily practice of raising a child together. There are the obvious moments I feel more in love. Watching him cradle our infant just minutes…
I don’t recall the last time I laughed so muchOr cared so littleEspecially with spandex coveringOr barely coveringThe softest parts of my body The beach was crowded when we entered the surfBut when we emerged hours laterThe sudden emptiness surrounding us felt disorientingWhere were the sun tents, the castle builders, the couples?Even the seagulls had…
Last night I got into bed with a stranger. I was standing alone in a hotel lobby when a gentleman sporting a mischievous grin approached me. With equal parts excitement and hesitation, he asked me to please come to his room. He would be there waiting and wanted me to meet privately with him and his wife. He said “Room…
Last night my youngest sister, Katy, got married. I am overjoyed, proud, emotional, and in awe. Legally, she has been an adult for five years, but in my mind she is still eight years old. YES she can drink, YES she has graduated from college, and YES she pays bills and has a job, but she’s only eight. Trust…
A trending news story right now is a tragic one, as most seem to be these days. In Cincinnati, a 4-year old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure at the zoo, and after being dragged around by the 400-pound gorilla for 10 minutes, the zoo made the decision to shoot and kill him. The gorilla, not…
It never occurred to me that there was a problem with the way I approached confrontation with my loved ones. I spewed my feelings, raised my voice, overreacted, brought up past grievances I had been marinating in, and went into every argument with one goal in mind: to be the victor. I believed that arguing…
