Our fall break didn’t go as planned. I mean, when does any stretch of time off really go as planned? But this week capped any week I’ve ever had. From an unexpected health emergency landing my husband in ICU for …
Shifting Sands
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 …
Light a Match
After seeing the news on Facebook about the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, I sank into my living room chair, phone glued to my hand as I scrolled for more information about what had happened and why. My shoulders began to shake …
Lockdown 4-1-1
I got a call from one of the moms in my 4-year-old’s class while driving home. “Did you hear? The school is on lockdown.” I had just picked my boys up from school but the shock of this news compelled …
Driving into Hope
We are a few weeks into school, and this morning I drove the boys to kindergarten and fourth grade. (It’s not my week to drive the middle school girls, so I get the quiet ride.) I dropped them off and went about …
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 …
Debunking the Old Martha
For years I believed there was something wrong with the way I was wired. As a go-getter, recovering perfectionist, and ultra-responsible person, I prided myself on meeting and exceeding expectations (as a wife, mom, friend, colleague). But I often fell …
When His Promises Are Plenty Good Enough for Our Disappointment
My sweet girl. Sat on the sidewalk and wept. The ground supported her weight but not her disappointment. Some friends, a little older, had left her behind. As they rode away on their bikes, she labored to keep pace on …
The Three Elements to Transformation
If you know anything about building a fire, you know it takes three elements for a fire to burn: a fuel source (e.g. wood, gasoline, plastic, etc.), heat (like a spark from a lighter), and oxygen. All three elements must …
Second Grade Dreams
Some kids dream about growing up to become athletes, singers or doctors. Me? I dreamt about college. I recall with great detail the day when my second grade teacher talked to our class about what we wanted to be when …