Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash Have you ever done something to lose face with your peers? Your superiors? Maybe your family or friends? I think it’s almost a rite of passage to do so when you’re growing up; it’s part of learning acceptable social behavior and developing your sense of right and wrong, your … Continue reading Losing Face
Silver Linings: The Great Outdoors
Only two months ago, you could ask a single question and receive two predictable, yet vastly different, answers from my daughters. The question was simple enough: What would you like to do? 95% of the time, Grace (my three-year-old) would respond with gusto that she wanted to go outside. And 99.9% of the time, Marie … Continue reading Silver Linings: The Great Outdoors
Moments of Gratitude
Much like Annie, the main character in my novel Finding Annie, I have always searched for silver linings. The more dire the situation, the more important it has always been for me to find something positive; I simply can’t stomach the thought of something dreadful occurring and having only terrible takeaways. Some aspect of my … Continue reading Moments of Gratitude
Inspirational Quotes Part 2: A Wolf in Disguise
You're likely familiar with this excerpt from Little Red Riding Hood by Brothers Grimm, or some variation of it. At this point, it’s too late for Little Red Riding Hood, who has fallen for the wolf’s trap of pretending to be her grandmother. No matter what version you’ve read, though, Little Red Riding Hood ends … Continue reading Inspirational Quotes Part 2: A Wolf in Disguise
The Art of Waterproofing
If you have kids, they’ve likely gone through a magic phase. My daughters, ages three and five, are in one right now. They run around the house waving whatever was closest to them when inspiration hit—dress-up wand, marker, chopstick, Barbie leg—shouting “Magic, magic, turn me into a _______!” What’s in the blank? Well, that changes … Continue reading The Art of Waterproofing
The Hardest Things to Say
I remember watching Mary Poppins for the first time. I was eight or nine, and the movie impacted me on a few different levels. I loved the music and the singing. I envied the kids for having someone who cared for and about them. And I loved the nonsense word I was introduced to: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. … Continue reading The Hardest Things to Say
WWND: What Would Norman Do?
It’s no secret that I have a soft spot for the ’90s (see this post), and the decade has yet again provided me with some inspiration. Get ready to take a trip back about twenty-five years… Remember the advent of WWJD? It stands for “What Would Jesus Do?” and was started by a youth group … Continue reading WWND: What Would Norman Do?
Inspirational Quotes Part 1: Salt Required
One of the hottest trends out there today is inspirational quotes. Many people have something to say, whether original or repeating what someone else has said, and just about everyone likes to read them. And I’m not judging – I’m definitely one of those people. Just check out my social media accounts and you’ll see that I … Continue reading Inspirational Quotes Part 1: Salt Required
Dear Rachael…
A former classmate and childhood friend reached out to me via social media a couple months ago. She sent me a link to this blog post, sharing that she thought I might be interested and that the woman who wrote the article, Rachael Brooks, was publishing a book about her experiences as a survivor. I … Continue reading Dear Rachael…
Lessons in Inappropriate Laughter
Do you recall a time when someone laughed inappropriately? I know there are dozens of times (at least) that I’ve done it, and those are only the ones that I have some vague memory of. Most of them involved misunderstanding what the other person said or missing the context for it. Sometimes the end result … Continue reading Lessons in Inappropriate Laughter
