faith, family, wellness
Sometimes you can just spend a couple of hours with someone, but it can change the way you see the rest of your life. A couple of weekends ago, on a trip back to California, I visited my eighty-something year old aunt who is now living in a home for those with memory loss. She has … Continue reading What I am Remembering From the One Who is Forgetting
I will be flat out lying if I said my boys, just two years apart, get along all the time. Sometimes it's a daily war over the littlest things. Part of it is that they are so different from each other. One goes fast, the other slow. One likes bold flavors... the other, nothing but vanilla. "I want a different brother!!!" … Continue reading A Piece of Home Again
"Am I beautiful, Mommy?" my almost five year old asks. She spins in a second-hand, slightly faded dress. Her hair's a bit of a tangled nest from just waking up, and her sash is untied, hanging loose around her. She is young, but already soaking in so much of the world around her. Maybe too much. I think, how? How in … Continue reading Fearlessly Beautiful
On Mother's Day, I just wanted to sleep in. That was it. But my boys quietly came into the room with cards, my middle son, with a banana. "Mom, you wanna banana for breakfast?" He tried to peel it, then stopped. "Uh. I can't do it. Can you peel it for me?" And then he handed me … Continue reading When You Feel Messy on Mother’s Day
I only wanted to make some heart-shaped cookies. But that day, I walked into my daughter's preschool class with cookies that looked like blobs. I marvel at those of you who actually like to cook. I find it amazing that for some of you, baking cookies makes you happy. At times I do come up with something I'm slightly proud of - but I confess, I cook, … Continue reading We Will Burn the Cookies
Some of us slip on dress shoes and head to the office; others of us slip on our yoga pants and stay at home. From the laid-back to the perfectionist, I am convinced, we moms work very hard. And we're sooo tired. Sure, some of us have the ability to hide it better than others, but I'm starting to believe, deep down, we're all pretty … Continue reading Moms, Let’s Catch Our Breath
My girl is brave. She runs. She climbs. She torpedoes through the kiddie pool. She rescues her dollies from dire illnesses. She picks up pincher bugs with her bare little hands. She lives life full. But every now and then, she isn't so sure. Yesterday at the park, while perched on the big kid swing, she said quietly, "Mommy, I just feel a little bit … Continue reading The Only Way to Fly Free
There's this boy, and he's eight. And he knows exactly when to curl up on the couch and play quietly alone. He knows exactly when he needs to shut this world out for a bit. That little boy is my son. A sweet-spirited kid, but slow, slow to adjust. He is always the quietest one in the class. Never wants … Continue reading God Uses the Quiet Ones Too
This past Christmas we saw The Nutcracker at the San Francisco Opera House. We dressed up, wore extra thick jackets, and put on our best shoes. And my 4-year-old daughter loved every bit of it. It was her first time seeing a real ballet production. It was her first time sitting in fancy velvety chairs and needing to be quiet - … Continue reading She Wants to Dance
In my ten years of motherhood (wow, has it been that long?), I can only say this -- children have this natural way of bringing us back on our knees to embrace some simple truths of life. There are so many more to mention, but here are the top 20 lessons I’ve rounded up this year: There is … Continue reading Grace for Spilled Milk and Other Life Lessons
invited by grace 