My husband hasn’t always been the slim marathon runner he is today. He was a chunky little guy growing up, Sears Husky jeans with reinforced knees cut down short. One summer he invested his careful savings in a Styrofoam surfboard at Duckwall’s. Even though his mother was skeptical about the … [Read more...] about The Split
ICD
Why God Allows a Good Plan to Fail
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
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
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
Signed Up for All-Day
Many years ago, a new-teacher friend of mine shared a story with me that has resonated more clearly since my diagnosis. She was on her first day of teaching First Grade. Back then, Kindergarten was only a half day, so First Grade was an even bigger transition for most kids. The morning went … [Read more...] about Signed Up for All-Day