After a spirit-crushing experience with peewee football, I convinced my son to run for Student Council president. I was sure this election was the break that would set his entire public service future into motion. Teachers were excited that this intelligent guy was willing to take on the task. He … [Read more...] about Why God Allows a Good Plan to Fail
defibrillator
The Marshmallow Incident
In junior high, I attended my younger brother’s winter concert in the school gym. When I arrived, some older kids motioned for me to join their group. Feeling unexpectedly flattered and uncharacteristically bold, I decided to accept their invitation instead of sitting with my parents. These … [Read more...] about The Marshmallow Incident
A Second Grade Lesson
Little Miss Introvert struggled socially through the first four months of Second Grade. I dreaded the painful public loneliness of twice-daily recess. I was not adept at making friends. Mostly because I wouldn’t actually talk to anyone. Still, by Christmas, somehow I had managed to make a … [Read more...] about A Second Grade Lesson
The Power in a Name
My husband loves magic. He loves to watch Penn and Teller on TV and just about any magician on stage. He even has his own bag of tricks. Each child had a magic-themed birthday party when they turned seven. Mostly for their dad. So ever since our son first started college in California seven … [Read more...] about The Power in a Name
Rushing Joy
Confession: Black Friday, Small-Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday are all in the books for this year. And my Christmas tree still isn’t up. This is primarily due to my new normal with heart failure. I used to spend weeks decorating, including three trees and a ridiculous number of seasonal … [Read more...] about Rushing Joy
Spoiler Alert
Last week I pulled up to a stoplight behind a white Subaru and noticed a bumper sticker right away. I was rolling slowly up behind them as the words came into focus: “I love my spoiled, ungrateful children.” Wow. Not the worst bumper sticker I’d ever seen, but it certainly got me thinking. Who … [Read more...] about Spoiler Alert