Pessimism does not come naturally to me. Positivity is in my top eight strengths according to Gallup, so when I say I don't like something, I tend to cringe a little bit. There's got to be a silver lining somewhere, right? But holidays are hard. Growing up, holidays were anything but joyous. Filled with the…
A Letter to My Daughters/When I Die (Part 1)
Dear Ruth, Ila, and Jane, If you're reading this, you're either old enough to read my writing now or I'm dead. Either way, wow! How did we get here? I'm so proud of who you are and who you will be. I think every parent wants to impart wisdom onto their kids, so I'm going…
It happened to me.
Capital "T" Trauma. Little "t" trauma. This is not a one size, fits all dilemma. Body image played a part. Not the whole part. It's never the whole part. We will celebrate you for your thinness. Your accomplishments will be because of it. Not your self-worth. Your self-worth is worthless. Like your thinness. Like you,…
February reads and recommendations.
You guys, these February reads. Phew! My goal for reading this year and from now on is to read and learn more from authors who do not look like me or have the same life experiences as me. I read a variety of literature, all non-fiction, but with diverse topics including personal essays, racial reconciliation…
Birth days: a tale of birth three ways.
Since Jane's first birthday is upon us, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the ways in which our children came to us. Ruth: adoption. Adoption is beautiful and complex in so many ways. We hopped off of the plane to Vegas to rent a car for the first time (we had just turned…
Am I doing this right? Parenting tips for dummies!
Am I doing this right? What else could I be doing? Is everyone else this tired? Overwhelmed? Overjoyed? Underwhelmed? When will I be simply "whelmed" again? If you've asked yourself any of these questions, you are a parent. My hats off to you. My best friend and I always say that before we were parents…
January reads and opinions and stuff.
January of 2019 was so good to me in the book department. Here are a list of books I read along with some of my thoughts. Please note that an asterisk symbolizes my top pick for the month. I will rank my top monthly picks at the end of the year! Sisters First by Jenna…
My favorite role is daughter.
Last week I had the opportunity to go to the Covenant denomination's mid-winter conference in Denver, Colorado. It was a week free...
My tiaras.
A colleague once told me that my autobiography should be called "Mustaches and Tiaras: How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan."
Why, Yes! I Do Have a Mustache.
The scene was eighth grade Spanish class. The place was a southwest suburb of Chicago. The time of day was irrelevant, but let's say it was after lunch. I sat down next to my seat mate; let's call him Kipp to maintain his privacy. Kipp, a very honest and kind eighth grade boy looked at…
