I don’t usually write poetry–in fact, I’ve told my students many times that they write far better poems than I can! But for some reason, in this season of quarantine, free verse poems have been bubbling up in my heart like never before. So this week, in honor of my sweet little boy’s first birthday […]
Babies, gratitude, motherhood
Nearly seven months ago, a little after two o’clock in the morning and after about twenty-five hours of labor, a soft, warm, pink, little bundle was laid naked on my tummy, with a lusty yell and damp golden-brown curls. And my life was forever changed. There’s a reason I’ve been rather absent from this […]
Babies, motherhood
I hope you’ve been enjoying reading snippets of Anthony’s and my story so far! If you’ve missed earlier installments, feel free to check them out here. I stood in the darkened church that Good Friday, my heart a mingle of emotions. Beside me stood Anthony—the first time we had worshipped together. He […]
Good Friday, love story
It was the baby that did it. I was at LAX Airport, departing for the 2013 ACFW conference. I had lots to look forward to—seeing two of my critique partners, meeting with my agent and potential publishers, a trip to visit friends in New Mexico on the way back. My first completed […]
I recently watched the movie Finding Neverland for the first time. I was touched and moved by this story, based on a true one, about the sensitive Scottish author of Peter Pan and the little family of four boys and a widowed mother who captured his heart and helped inspire the timeless tale of the […]
We heard the announcement over the microphone as we arrived at the circle of booths and pulsing drums: “Where is the little blonde girl who was dancing? We want to honor her with a special dance.” Little blonde girl? Not exactly what you’d expect to hear at a Native American pow wow. The announcement repeated […]
I’ll confess I haven’t always been the most comfortable around people with disabilities. I often don’t know what to say, what to do. Sometimes I might smile awkwardly, other times look away. Through the Dickens story Nicholas Nickleby and the character of Smike, as well as working with students at our local community college, the […]
Early last year, I connected with a lovely authoress after I watched an online interview she did on human trafficking, the focus of several of her novels. When I emailed to thank her for helping raise my awareness, this gracious lady, Kathi Macias, offered to send me one of her books for free, so I […]
When I was down beside the sea A wooden spade they gave to me To dig the sandy shore. My holes were empty like a cup In every hole the sea came up Till it could come no more. ~Robert Louis Stevenson I’ve been down beside the sea. Thanks to the shared space of some […]
We put on a show the other day.During both performances, I stood in my little corner at the back of the theater, near the door to handle tickets for any late-comers and close to the table of “Singing Valentines” I supervised at intermission, and watched in delight as our young performers–ages 9 to 25–danced, sang, […]
