The other day, I called the insurance company, which one never does due to delightful reasons. The customer service representative on the phone gave me all of her patience and went to great lengths to help me. I felt my anger and frustration rising disproportionately. Sure, I placed the call because I had issues with…
Category: Personal Essay
I Know Who You Are
She sees the woman slowly make her way towards her. As one of the organizers of the event, my friend stands as a makeshift receiving line forms in front of her. People comment on how well she did helping to plan the evening or mention their desire to become more active in the organization. One…
Fire Fast
This week, a reel appeared on my For You Page (FYP) on Instagram. In it, Gary Vynerchuk answered an audience member’s question about how to know if the person you’re hiring is actually good versus how they appear on an application. His response: “I’ve got really good hiring advice: learn to fire fast.” Vynerchyck explains…
Better Than Happiness
This morning I needed to tackle dirty dishes and cluttered kitchen countertops. After an overindulgence in Christmas music, I chose to return to a favorite podcast instead to fill the silence. In less busy times, I love making podcasts the soundtrack to my work, as long as that work does not demand much mental capacity…
Celebrations, Not Resolutions
Happy New Year, My Friends! I confess that I’m not much of a New Year’s Eve person. I tend not to make resolutions – at least, not publicly – and have to force myself to stay awake for the countdown, and then only because my kids insist on it. I attribute part of my NYE…
Not Full of Christmas Cheer
My first year working for a large church in Arlington, Virginia, my husband and I ate Christmas lunch off the rollers at a 7-Eleven. Tradition dictated that the newest priest on staff lead the Christmas morning service and I had started working at the church that November. My first Christmas celebrated outside of my home…
Grandpa’s Jars
A midweek fiction offering for you. I wrote this to share at this year’s Soil and Water Conservation District Christmas party. I value my family’s ability to live close to the land and honor its many gifts. As you consider your many blessings at the close of the year, lift a prayer of gratitude and…
Learning Not to Forgive My Younger Self
I would go back and do things differently. If I could advise my younger self, I would tell her to avoid some things or choose a different path. My younger self didn’t know any better. We should be gracious with our younger selves and forgive them their bad or impetuous decisions. I’m working on forgiving…
#NotThatMom
“Do you have the right shapewear for this one?” “Oh! I’ve always loved Spanx but did you hear about Skims by Kim Kardashian? I just bought my first body suit from her and I love it! You should try it.” “Honey, if you choose this one, we’ll have to find a new pushup bra for…
Giving Thanks for the Discomfort
I feel obliged to write something for this weekend about gratitude with yesterday being Thanksgiving and all. We’re coming off a challenging year as a family. My husband and I divorced, he moved next door, and we’re learning to co-parent while discovering how family can evolve into something different. I feel we’ve navigated this well,…
Prayerful Kitchen 