Mustaches and Tiaras

Dear Ruth, Ila, and Jane, The year is 2020. Most adults you know from this period of time will refer to this year as a dumpster fire, but from what I can tell it seems like you’re having a good time. You’ve become budding artists who care deeply about God and people, which is what…

During this stay at home order, running continues to give me solace. Both Brian and I work full time, care for three children, and play teacher and sped professional (one of us is better at this than the other...). So, as you would imagine, we both need an outlet. On this Holy Saturday I went…

Feeling everything and nothing at the same time. Being filled and yet empty. Tired, yet alert. Believing people are good because they are made in the image of God. Trusting no one because people do horrible things. Words escape me and yet thousands stir within me. The life of a survivor is saying nothing because…

School drop-off. Monday thru Friday-- Tears everyday since September. Why? Because it never feels right. She is she... She is a child... She is special... She is vulnerable. And yet, this morning as the tension in my body dissipates it strains once again. Why? Because she is kind and she holds the door for all…

2019 is my favorite year so far. So much happened in our family and yet, through it all, God grew each of us immensely. At the beginning of the year we each had our share of physical ailments; resulting in multiple trips to the ER, surgeries, and sprained ribs from coughing #welcometoyour30s ! We discovered…

He doesn't warn me when he plans to visit. Like an unwanted dinner party guest he arrives and makes himself comfortable. In my house. Uninvited. Commanding the room. And when all the guests have left the dinner party it's him and me. And he waits. He hangs around heavy like a proscenium stage curtain. Cloaking…

Today my middle child, Ila Waters, turned five years old. I remember her pregnancy and birth so vividly. I loved being pregnant with her. At the time we had another little baby named Ruth and we were blissfully unaware how difficult it would be to have two babies at the same time. Ila arrived on…

Back to school, back to school, to prove to dada I'm not a fool... If you don't hear Billy Madison's voice immediately after reading this first sentence, then you need to watch the movie first and then read this post. Not because it has anything to do with the post, but because I'm worried about…

Marathon training consumes many of my days. At this point it's like another job. It's a job I have enjoyed very much because the end game is to raise money to give people access to basic needs we so take for granted: water, sanitation, and education. Which is why today has me feeling defeated. Today…

Dear Ruth, Ila, and Jane, A mentor of mine suggested I document moments when I saw your character as kids because I will begin to see signs of what you might be like as an adult. Today I want to recognize each of you for who you are at this moment in time: Ruth My…