I’m in Charge of Family Hydration
Sometime in the last 12 years, my family put me in charge of hydration. This means that I’m the one checking in on whether or not we’re remembering to drink water. Now that my daughters are older and can take care of themselves, I’m still reminding them. I’m reminding myself. It’s summer; it’s hot and […]
Animals on the Rainbow Loom
It’s raining and cold! Instead of feeling like this is a terrible way for summer vacation to begin, we do the things we love to save for rainy days. In this case, we invite friends to make grilled cheese sandwiches that seem so comforting as the chilly rain comes in through the screen door. The […]
Some Slow Pie and a Few Questions
In honor of living slow and more reflectively on this last day of school, my daughters and I harvest the berries and make a strawberry pie from scratch. Well, actually, I made the pie. They relaxed. I also let my parents in Virginia know that I was making the same strawberry pies we made after […]
It’s Illegal to Pick These
My husband and I travel to find the lady slipper orchids in the forest. We look back to 2011 when our friend pointed them out in May. We aren’t sure we’ll find them again, but we do. And I go back to read about the beauty of these plants and what they symbolize to me. […]
And I Ate It
I didn’t save this berry for my children or husband or even a neighbor. Oh no, I ate it immediately. I feel no remorse whatsoever. Sometimes, the gifts God brings into our hands are for us to enjoy, and that’s right and good. I know too many people who feel guilty when they enjoy some […]
Something to Gather Right Now
It’s raining, but I know I have to harvest this day’s strawberries. The whole time I’m out there in the mud and underneath the dark sky, foraging about for ripe berries hidden beneath the rich green foliage, I think about the blessing I might gather in any season, under any sky, in any circumstance. Yes, […]
A Season for Long Stories
I love this season of graduation parties, block parties, pool afternoons, and just sitting around being together. Today, we were with folks all day long, just sitting around. We swapped long stories of vacations and childhood and gardens and children and pets. In a town like this–during a summer like this–it’s a lot of simple […]
Surprise!
“If God knows everything, then He never gets to be surprised.” This is my daughter expressing sadness over what she feels is one of life’s greatest pleasures: the feeling of surprise! She loves surprises. She loves unexpected little gifts and friends arriving unannounced. She loves it most when I say, “I have a wonderful surprise […]
What Only Slow Makes Happen
We’re growing many unusual things in our garden, things like artichokes and radishes and eggplant. Every morning, barefoot and chilly, we all go to the garden to check the progress of things. The basil is growing well, and so are the tomatoes. We find little blossoms on the peppers and the cucumbers. The carrot seeds […]
How Do I Stay Out of Trouble? (The Best Answer I’ve Found)
I’m still thinking about this one question that everyone asks online. I think of you. I haven’t met you or know anything about you, but I’m guessing that you asked this question because your heart wants to be good. You want to do the right thing and become the person you’re supposed to be. You […]