The journey to peace comes by way of blessings. Counting blessings. Those little and big reminders given to us so that we can remember this: life is good. That life is more than good- it is stellar. Even in the moments we oft would erase. For those moments build character and endurance. They make us …
I have been having quite a few of those days. Ah, you know those days I’m talking about! Those days when all you can do is look at your toes and scuffle along. Those days when you feel like the process of looking upward is just too difficult. Or so it seems. That the sun …
What a Labour Day weekend I have had. That is all I can truly say. It was one for the record books. We decided to take our new-to-us camper and do one more, end-of-the-summer camping spree with the gang. Worst.idea.ever. And now that summer is over, I cannot even look forward to a vacation from …
Sitting on a rickety wooden rail beside a sea of balls, one gets to see life as it is really lived out. It is a vantage point like no other, really. One must sit as quiet as a bird on a limb so as not to miss a thing. For conversations like these are quick …
My baby lies feverish on the couch, her little eyes flickering open momentarily when I walk past her. She woke with a headache this morning, and those pains led to lethargy and burning hot skin by early evening. In light of the week we’ve had, with a young girl in our circle of friendship with …
I have corralled my screaming child in the church bathroom. We are finishing up a weekend of family camp, and not only is camp done, but so am I. And then some. I now prepare for inevitable misery that is the stage we call “packing up and heading for home.” Everyone loves to see a …
Herein is the essence of wonder. I have just spent the last hour and a half reading a philosophy book entitled Recapturing Wonder, on the topic of renewing a disillusioned spirit and finding wonder and enchantment in the reality of day-to-day life. It is a good read. Refreshing. After my retreat from reality, as I …
I peek in the room, and she is propped up on pillows, reading by lamplight left on from the evening before. I come in, bend low to her head and kiss her. It is 7:00 a.m. We have a busy day ahead. I have two presentations before lunch, and my mind is on this. I …
I am ashamed to say it. I became “that” mother today. That mother that yells at her children, that puts the house ahead of her child, that cares more about shoes than her crying preschooler- and that finally strips her child down to her birthday suit on the front door step and carries her screaming …
We are seated by our friendly server for an evening meal in a beautiful, open-concept family restaurant, aptly coined a country kitchen for its white hardwood table and chairs and charming down-home ambiance. On first glance, I am drawn to look up at the beautiful chandeliers hanging gracefully from the ceiling, as well as noticing …
Why do Mom’s cookies, eaten straight up from the cookie jar, taste best when indulged as a bedtime snack? Gingersnaps, rolled in sugar. Pressed with the hand, perhaps and then baked to perfection. These sitting on this mahogany table, tempting me until I cannot resist, have crackles like tiny rivers running randomly across their golden …
Morning rises. The newly borne dawn begins the day with heavy fog and low-lying clouds. Threatening rain. The air, so heavy with moisture, feels like a vapor bath. A quick look at the forecast reveals thunder showers and lightening are in the forecast for later this afternoon. Not what had been predicted on yesterday’s radio …