Hope and a Prayer

To my children, I hope, today, that when you call “Mom,” I’ll turn and lift my head the first time. I hope that along with the consequence, you’ll hear an “I love you” and feel my arms around you. I hope you’ll give your sister some animals, too, and that when your brother has the … Continue reading Hope and a Prayer →

Jesus and Dirty Noses: A Poem

Holding back a recoil ⠀⠀ at stale scent of saliva⠀⠀ I wipe away snot streams⠀⠀ Scour the toilet over her cries ⠀⠀ Press my face against brown curls a little longer⠀⠀ Hustle next to scrub the shower⠀⠀ Before baby hands find their way in⠀⠀ Again.⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ I say I love you.⠀⠀ Later⠀⠀ I hiss first … Continue reading Jesus and Dirty Noses: A Poem →

To Practice Self-care or Not: Is That the Question?

Ah, self-care: the buzzword people either love or love to hate. I’ve read and heard both sides and felt unsettled by both. But last winter, when I was in the thick of sifting through it all, I had a mini epiphany: How did Jesus do it? (Yes, this question should have come to mind much … Continue reading To Practice Self-care or Not: Is That the Question? →

A Visit, a Recommendation, Two Lessons

Nothing long or detailed today, just a few brief updates to break the blog silence. Life update: My brother Brock and sister Abby came to visit! In a whirlwind five days, we took them to Pampaneira, Cabo de Gata, Almeria, the Mediterranean beach, and Granada. This was easier than it sounds: all these places are … Continue reading A Visit, a Recommendation, Two Lessons →

Hola, bienvenidos.

I'm twenty-eight years old. I've known about blogs and read them with interest--sometimes regularly, sometimes sporadically, sometimes rarely--for over a decade now. And writing energizes me. It clarifies what's muddy. It soothes what's hurting. There's a whole list of creative things that don't really appeal to me. Crocheting. Sewing. Anything involving wood and hammer and … Continue reading Hola, bienvenidos. →