It’s Like Style Died for Me
I’m shopping for golden-sparkly shoes to match my daughter’s concert dress. I have no problem shopping for other people. I have no problem assembling adorable, super-cute clothes for my children. I have no problem shopping for friends. But shopping for me? I forgot how to do that. Somewhere in the last ten years, I truly […]
It Might Be That You Feel Helpless
For several days, I’ve just felt so bad about writing. I’m so discouraged! I actually googled, “advice for discouraged writers.” I found a great little list called, “25 Inspiration Sources for the Discouraged Writer.” On this list, Cheryl Reif asks me to “identify where I feel helpless” because feeling helpless as a writer is a […]
“Just Pretend You Meant to Do It and Keep Going”
I love my daughters’ piano teacher. This is the same amazing woman who called my daughter after her public failure at Barnes and Noble to tell her that playing piano is not about performance. Right after that embarrassment, my oldest went on to perform in talent shows and play piano with absolute joy. The goal […]
Lifted and Not Pulled: When Language Really Matters
Today my oldest gets 4 teeth pulled–um, I mean lifted. The orthodontist doesn’t tell her they are being “pulled”; those teeth are simply being “lifted.” He’s adamant about using certain words to shape a different reality. He explains that in war-torn countries where he performs dental services, he’d never use the word “shot” with a […]
“It’s a Great Way to Be”
Today, we visit the dairy cows down the road. We can’t stop asking questions about life with the cows. We learn all about waking up at 5:00 AM, working all day, and milking cows. When I ask my friend what she loves so much about all this hard work and early morning waking, she simply […]
“He has reached the place where he is not thinking about himself anymore.”
The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness:The Path to True Christian Joy, by Tim Keller, is a small little book that reorients the soul. I’ve been personally struggling with the writing life–the public writing life–because it feeds into a dark side of me. All the self-promotion! All the self-focus! How can I escape it? When I’m admired, it […]
Why Are We So Afraid of Boredom?
After school today, my youngest begs for a play date. I tell her that’s not in the plan. She wants to watch TV. I tell her that’s not in the plan. “What am I supposed to do?” Once again, I remember those words of a great counselor who told me one of the greatest gifts […]
When You Write to Heal Your Heart
Today I receive the sad news that a dear friend’s son has died from cancer. I’ve followed this journey through her eyes as she wrote every day. This morning, I read the big sister’s thoughts on losing her little brother. She calls this entry, “A Time to Dance,” and it’s so hard to read without […]
All Kinds of Living
It wasn’t exactly an easy journey to school. With a two hour delay, I thought by 10:30 AM, the plows would have cleared the snow. No. Not at all. With my daughters bundled in their seats, we barely make it down the street. My tires spin, and I’m fishtailing it up the hill. To make […]
“Believing They’d Already Died”
Today, my students discuss suffering and loss in the context of Japanese haiku. Various writers suggest that we suffer so much because we’re so attached to certain outcomes. Releasing these expectations provides a coping mechanism that helps us enjoy life more. A student raises his hand to tell us about his historical research about soldiers […]