Category: family
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Know and Trust
Feeling hard-pressed or stressed? Same. Life has required roller blades lately. And mostly for lovely moments. Ten college applications are now submitted for our high school senior (and to clarify – 10 applications that required at least twice that number of essays). We’ve shown up for loved ones and friends when needed. We voted early…
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In Joy
I thank the Creator of the universe for another rotation around the sun today. While I’m a low-key introvert who is happy to celebrate my birthday quietly, I don’t take my special day each year for granted. So many so dear to me are no longer here. Others born the same year have flown high,…
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Hold On
I’m blessed to have known all four of my grandparents. Poppy Sykes was larger than life, a creative soul whose good-natured pranks made strangers double over with laughter. Grandpa Booker had a gentle spirit and strong hands that worked farmland and mastered carpentry. Before her winter years, Grandma Booker created the most delectable cuisine with…
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Never Alone
There’s something about this time of year. School’s out, summer’s on, and transitions are underway. In our home, a kindergartener is now a first grader. And we have two rising seniors, one in high school and one in college. Friends have kiddos heading to sleepaway camps, where kids are learning to be a bit more…
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Still Here
Dad slipped away quietly one year ago today. And, oh, how I miss him. I remember that day in vivid detail. The steady rain. The chill in the air. How I knew he’d passed when hospice’s number appeared on my phone screen. How I let it go to voicemail because I was taking our teen…
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A Fond Farewell
As the youngins say, life be lifing. But, it’s still life. And, this year often reminded me that life is such an incredible gift.
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Papa
This time each year my heart takes a rollercoaster ride. We’re shaking off the busyness of summer. The kiddos go back to school and grow up some more on us. And our family celebrates at least 15 birthdays in September. And this year’s heart rollercoaster ride is right on time. Our oldest is starting her…
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Seasons
Originally published April 2023 – reposting after disappearing mysteriously . . . . Dad’s passing is not my first rodeo with loss and grief. I know that seasons of grief often require a certain kind of energy. Wrestling with acceptance that life has, yet again, changed significantly. Riding an unpredictable rollercoaster of emotions. Toggling between…
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Both/And
Since losing my dad a few weeks ago, I’ve been living in the Land of Both/And. It’s where two diametrically opposed feelings co-exist. Both gratitude and disappointment, both acceptance and sadness, both peace and grief. I’m feeling it all. Dad was blessed with 92 amazing years. His heart and mind were as beautiful as his…
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A Kind of Kindness
Writing again feels so good. I’ve been navigating a swept-away season since the birth of our LO 3 years ago. Stretch-and-grow moments have been plentiful since then. Time for capturing those moments here? Not so much. But, seasons change and mine is evolving again. So, onward we go. And, I’ll start with a lesson that…
