Confession: I’m not the world’s best homemaker. I wish I were. Sometimes I torture myself by looking through magazines like Better Homes & Gardens or Good Housekeeping. HGTV is a great way to inspire self-flogging. Oh, and let’s not forget …
Freedom is a Means, Not an End
Today is Memorial Day, which means celebration (summer!), remembrance, and patriotism. It means honoring those who died in uniform, flags flying, and my Facebook feed filled with friends offering thanks for their freedom. I have to admit, how we commemorate …
Dolphins Help Heal a Mother’s Broken Heart
Our family started our year of nomadic living last May, in a little condo across the street from Strand Beach in Dana Point, CA. It was heavenly, truly. I had a profound experience there, which has grown even more significant …
Thank You, Village.
They say it takes a village to raise a child, but I think it also takes village to raise a heart. These past two months have been incredibly intense. Watching a loved one get diagnosed with a terminal illness and …
A Note to My Young Mother
Dear Mom, I’ve been looking at this picture all morning. You so young and beautiful, me so young and innocent. I can’t quite wrap my brain around it. You were younger than I am now in this photo, by quite …
New Moms: 3 Gifts for Your First Mother’s Day
Dear New Moms, I’ve been thinking about you this week. I think about you often, actually. Sometimes it’s with nostalgia for those first baby months, sometimes with gratitude that they are over, but always, ALWAYS with a great deal of …
Judy’s Smile: An Ode to My Sweet Mother-in-Law
She was always smiling. That was the first thing that struck me about my mother-in-law. Her smile. Sincere, loving, genuine. I’m sure she wasn’t always smiling, but that’s how I always see her in my mind. Smiling sweetly, blue eyes twinkling, …
To the Mothers Who Weren’t Our Mothers
Here’s to you, Moms We Knew Growing Up. You were the mothers who were not our own, but who were in our lives anyway—the friends of our moms, the moms of our friends, our aunts, neighbors, teachers, and coaches. You …