Have you ever stood on the beach and walked out thinking the sand was firm only to find it was butter soft, so your feet just melted into it? Shifty sand is a difficult place to stand, and it reminds …
The Rebellion of Opting Out
Modern family life can feel a lot like a hamster wheel — a constant race you’re never winning. We overschedule our kids and ourselves, wedging some must-do activity into every waking moment of the day, until we’re short on time, …
The Day I Got Schooled by Maya
I met Maya Angelou in New York at an event for the last book she wrote, Mom and Me and Mom, in 2012. I waited for about an hour in line to meet her and as I was waiting, I was …
Reverse Engineering Creativity
Mierle Laderman Ukeles is a famous female artist who is known for challenging the low status of maintenance work – both domestically and also in society. I learned about Ukeles while researching during graduate school several years ago before becoming …
Conversation Three: The Four Most Important Conversations You’ll Have as Parents
This is a four-part blog series. Each consecutive day this week will feature Conversation one, Conversation two, Conversation three and Conversation four in both print and video. These excerpts were taken from a chapter written by Axis in Dennis and Barbara …
Bad Days, Not Bad Years
About three years ago, my husband and I decided to pack all of our belongings, sell everything that didn’t fit into our truck, and head to Nashville for a fresh start with our four-year-old daughter. We had been stuck in …
Waterlogged Soul Care
Do you remember being little and playing too long in the bathtub to the point where your skin would start to wrinkle? My mama would always remind me that once the skin got ‘pruney’ it was time to get outta …
Love Detox
I went through alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal/detox on the top bunk in my sister’s basement – in a house full of toddlers. Three of them. I should probably mention that children aren’t my love language. Their bodily fluids gross me …
The Glittery Pink Invitation
While most days my neighborhood feels like a charming halo of retirees and wrinkles, I sensed there were other young mothers nearby. The signs of tiny life were tucked away in my memory – a toy left out in the …
Postpartum Depression
May 14-20 is Mental Health Awareness week PPD can be a sneaky one. You’ve gone from pregnant to not pregnant in the same moment you become the center of the universe for a “hot off the press” human. Recovering from …