I sat in a beach chair and cried. Not legit crying with sobs and shudders. It was subtle – the kind of crying where your tears just turn on, as if they were emotional garden hoses connected to a leaky …
Small Actions Take Courage
We sat together, sipping coffee. She asked how I took my coffee and I replied, “Usually black.” She told me she was the same. Back home, they grew and roasted their own coffee, which she would drink black. But here …
The Routine of Family
I’ve been a single parent for almost 13 years and have learned a thing or two about creating time for my daughter during a busy schedule. When she was 8 years old, I was a full-time graduate student, working two …
Beating From Within
When I was a child, at times I felt a little crazy. Everybody in fourth grade was going about their business, it seemed— writing in math workbooks, sitting at desks all plopped in a row. My classmates sniffed smelly erasers …
Unicorn on the Mantle
There is an antique golden unicorn on the mantle of my fireplace. If you look close, you can see the web of fracture lines held together with super glue. One leg has a meandering line held together all the way …
Morning Rituals
I have spent a lot of my years as a mom feeling like the details of my day were out of control. I regularly wash the same load of laundry twice because I keep forgetting to put it in the …
Advent 2017: See the Love
I live with the rise and fall of a breath warming my chest, the caress of soft buttery skin against my own and the weight of a baby across my shoulders. I have been wearing babies for more than a …
Advent 2017: Drop the Christmas Mic
You know at traditional weddings how the wedding party walks down the aisle while the musicians stand off to the side singing or playing their instruments? One of the first weddings I ever attended, the bride took things to a …
Christmas: Advent Devotional
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. – Luke 2:11 If you are going through this devotional with your family, you can go to onethingalone.com/advent and print out …