My mom loves butterflies. She buys flowers and herbs to attract them—dill, rue, and butterfly weed have annual planting appointments in her patio pots and flowerbeds. During the warm days of spring and summer she watches closely for a variety of butterflies to lay their eggs and monitors where the tiny specks appear. Then begins […]
Is the back-to-school season a difficult time for you because of infertility, singleness, miscarriage, or child loss? My friend, Kelley Mathews, generously shared her blog space at Patheos for me to offer a few suggestions on transforming this pain (link below) into hopeful purpose. Be encouraged. You are not alone. Original post on Patheos
Unlike Snoopy’s happy dance, June can rob me of motivation to do much more than take slow motion baby steps forward. Do you ever dread stepping into a certain month? Never would I have imagined that an entire month would challenge my contentment the way June has for the last 12 years. This year, especially. […]
Hot summer days remind me of joyful times in childhood with the neighborhood kids. Playing tag, running around, climbing trees, riding bicycles. Especially riding bikes. Sneakers pedaling as fast as small feet allow, wind blowing through our hair, singing silly songs as we ride down alleys and streets, exploring the space where we live. Freedom. […]
Inhaling deeply, I stepped on the swinging tire that hung above the water. The hole in the middle appeared HUGE and the tire rim that was my step target looked thin and inadequate. That first step overwhelmed my being. Then I heard my nephew calling encouragement from behind. “You can do this, Aunt Julie. Just […]
Have you ever wondered what you can give someone who has suffered a miscarriage, stillbirth, or child loss? The most treasured gifts are often the smallest. The Gift The first angel came from my sister as a sweet token of remembrance after a doctor’s appointment. The news I had received was bleak – the tiny […]
Real Definition “What is real?” asked the Velveteen Rabbit one day. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?” “Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play […]
The small sign conveyed holiday cheer with block red letters on a small foam core square – similar to those Christmas Light ad signs I’ve seen around town since October. As I waited for the light to turn green, I looked around the intersection, scanned the sign, moved on visually, then did a double take. […]