It was a subject of every parent-teacher conference that year, and it lived on into my adulthood. It still has legs, even today. It was significant enough and memorable enough that Dad and I reminisced about it during his last weeks, and he even included it in the written account of his life … [Read more...] about Languishing & Loaned Words
Blog Posts
When Doors Close
Admittedly, it was an ambitious bucket-list excursion. Two years into my chronic, progressive disease we took a whirlwind trip overseas. I had never been outside the Western hemisphere. So, despite my limited capability and life-altering fatigue, we decided I was finally doing well enough to take … [Read more...] about When Doors Close
Utility Room Faith
Functional rather than attractive, it never seemed odd or significant that we called it the “utility room” growing up. After a major remodel gobbled up our one-car garage, this tiny room became both a laundry room and miscellaneous storage. It was where our washer and dryer and muddy boots lived, … [Read more...] about Utility Room Faith
Parented by Porchlight
Oh no, the light is out. I’m in hot water. Rolling onto the crunchy gravel drive long past my high school curfew, something seemed off. The familiar porchlight that was always on until our last family member was safely inside, was dark. Either there had been a family emergency and they’d … [Read more...] about Parented by Porchlight
Not What We Expected
It’s been six months since we said goodbye in the middle of a bizarre autumn cold snap. It should have been in the high 60s that day. But it wasn’t. Snow fell like grace in the late October wheat fields as we buried my momma. A strange blanket of comfort, as if God was saying, Unexpected … [Read more...] about Not What We Expected
Making Mistakes
I’ve been through the events in my mind for years, trying to nail down how it could have happened. This is my best guess. One Saturday pre-chronic-illness, I walked into the kitchen to take my once-a-week bone density pill. As I unwrapped my pill, the phone rang. I answered the landline, my … [Read more...] about Making Mistakes