We had been enjoying our getaway to our remote Smoky Mt cabin when we learned that a strong storm front was predicted to blow through by the weekend. My eyes immediately shifted to the row of trees I’d been worried about for some time; the soil had eroded beneath their exposed roots, there on the ...
Blabber Control Issues
Papa God has a wonderful sense of humor and He loves it when we laugh. Especially moms. Because everyone knows when Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy, and when Mama laughs, the whole house rocks. I believe laughter is the best salve for the skinned knees of the spirit. And heaven only knows how many ...
40 Years of Wedded Blitz (I mean Bliss)
The Almighty deserved a high five when He matched me with my Chuck. But we’re not one of those palsy-walsy couples who do everything together; we understand and respect our differences. Chuck’s into quality. I’m into quantity. He’ll painstakingly fix a broken fifty-cent item if it takes all week. I’ll toss it and buy ...
Just Over It
Ever have one of those days, when mothering drains you dry? When lil’ Princess Leia has a hysterical meltdown in the candy aisle, or Mama’s boy Roy decides to taste-test his fresh nose pickings during the children’s choir performance. Or drama queen Ilene screams with a vengeance those three heart-shattering words you never, ever, in ...
Scabs and Scars
Healing (and I’m not just talking about physical healing here) is a process; it can flow fluidly from start to finish or get stalled at any stage in between. For example, sometimes you may be dealing with scabs; at other times, scars. There’s a difference. Contrary to what your eyes tell you, scabs aren’t a ...
Prison Break
Passing by the state prison where Daddy worked, I used to stare up, up, up at those looming gun towers and impossibly high chain-link fences topped with razor wire, wondering how it felt to be trapped inside – to know that the big, wide world outside is rolling along, but you’re stuck within these confining ...
Stress: Kudzu of the Spirit
Sister-mom, are you stressed under? Does everything feel like it’s heaped on top of you and you’re unable to wriggle out from beneath the pile? If so, you need an intervention before your hope gets smothered under there. Not to scare you, but hopelessness is a very real possibility. Its seeds are planted amid relentless ...
Searching for Balance
Hey, did you hear about twenty-seven-year-old Amber Miller, who, in her thirty-eighth week of pregnancy, completed the 26.2-mile Chicago Marathon then checked into a hospital to plunk out a healthy baby girl? Now that’s what I call a mom on the fly! Well, you and I might not officially run marathons, but we both know ...
Pint-Sized Hero
I mourn today. And I just can’t seem to stop my eyes from leaking. I lost one of my heroes a few days ago … five pounds of solid heart. His name was Rocky, short for Rachmaninov (he was a Russian toy terrier). He was 13. I know you understand the hollow ache. Which of ...
Bless this Mess
Did you know pregnancy actually alters a woman’s brain, changing the size and structure of areas involved in emotional attachment to their young? A recent Nature Neuroscience study found that motherly nurturing skills – like perceiving the feelings and perspectives of others – are enhanced in pregnancy and continue for at least two years after ...