Last Monday was a usual Monday. The Sunday let down had settled into my heart like a summer morning mountain fog. Combating those doldrums, the free day stretched ahead and invited productivity, but I was stuck in the mundane tasks: doing the dishes from Sunday, picking up the clutter, throwing in a ... read more

Have you been around a child with a poopy diaper? It’s no secret. Like with the Grinch, three words for a dirty diaper: “Stink. Stank. Stunk.” When my two-year-old walks by me after doing his business, I am immediately alerted to his condition. “You have a poopy diaper,” I exclaim. His immediate ... read more

When the time draws near, mothers prepare. It's universal, from animals to humans. The urge to be ready. Mothers clean previously undiscovered corners of their houses. Mothers bake and cook and freeze food. They bargain hunt. They busy their hands with sewing, painting, knitting, crafting. They ... read more

Sometimes when I hear the testimonies of others, I think thankfully (and maybe guiltily?) of my easy life. How does a cancerous woman die with such grace? How does the married-but-not-married-woman bear years of abuse and neglect? What does it feel like to lose a parent, child, husband, embryo? I am ... read more

Every year I look for the supernatural in Advent like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat. Say the right words, do the right activity and conjure up the true meaning of Christmas, and….dare I say?....a super spiritual status? I look for that hidden Narnia-like door into the Nativity. How is it ... read more