One of the ways that I enjoy showing love is to give gifts. Not expensive gifts, but simple, thought out gifts that say to the person, “I love you” or “I am thinking of you.” My eleven grandchildren flock to me for that one piece of gum or the tic tac that Nana always has waiting…
Seriously. I don’t hate laundry. It’s not that it is a difficult job–for me, at least. An automatic washer and dryer, though dated, does the work for me and all I really have to do is fold or hang them when they’re dry. So why does it seem like a chore? Truth is, any mundane…
Marriage is a partnership. “For better or worse” you said. (Or maybe you didn’t and should have!) Entering this commitment of a lifetime, you most likely underestimated how big and how hard this choice really is… When I said, “I do”, I already knew that this man I was choosing had made a commitment to full-time…
There is no perfect parent. Period. We would be so much healthier and happier in the process if we would just realize that it’s our humanity that reveals our need for the kind of help that every parent longs for. And that looking for help can be healthy. There are over 70,000 parenting books for…
When our kids were little one of our favorite family games was hide-and-seek. Even when they were too small (or too timid) to hide for themselves, we would team up and have a competition to see who could hide in the best place. Summertime lent itself to hiding outside–sometimes with walkie-talkies so we could taunt…
This very special post was on my daughter’s Facebook. I just had to share it with you, with the hope that it will help get the message out, help bring awareness to the need for Foster Families, and answer a question that so many ask. May is National Foster Care Month. We often get questions…
These are not soft hands. They are tough and worn and calloused. Eighty years of use. I’m sure I did, but I don’t remember holding my Dad’s hand when I was small. We never had a Daddy-Daughter dance. Unless dancing around important topics counts. You see, my Dad is not much on words or sentiment.…
I know. Flowers wilt. And yes, flowers fade. But… The delight that the beauty of a flower brings for a season or even for the moment is priceless. My mother and I share a love for anything blooming. Since her stroke, there have been hard days, but there have been good days. The good days…
It is inevitable, you know. Those precious babies melt your heart and then… one day, they break it. DISCLAIMER: I am an empty-nester, and I was by no means a perfect parent. This isn’t a blog about one of my children or grandchildren. It is a reflection on the times that my perfectly imperfect children messed…
The adoption process is a whirlwind of emotions. Allowing your heart to be vulnerable to the ups and downs of this journey takes more than just sacrifice– it takes stamina. Holding on to hope for what is best for a child takes willpower and true grit. Stubbornly fighting for the rights of a child demands…
We’ve all been there. Holidays that are meant to be joyful family reunions, but are not quite complete because someone is missing. Maybe that someone is you. Or a loved one who couldn’t make it home–or one who has found an eternal home. It’s a mixed bag of emotions. Wonderful and horrible at the same…
It is an inevitable inevitability. Change. Not always easy. Not always welcome. But definitely in.ev.it.a.ble. The cycle of life has a way of reminding us that even though change can be very difficult, it is, in reality, the most natural thing of all. It is one thing that we can always count on: Change will happen. As…
What if our perspective suddenly changed and those things that we thought were so important suddenly took a back seat, and your life slowed to a crawl. There would be time. Time to remember. To reflect. To pray.
No, I am not getting younger like Benjamin Button. I am definitely getting older, but the child in me still returns when I am around my parents. Please tell me that I’m not alone… I am blessed: I have two parents who love me. I was taught about the one true God who loves me…
Did you know the Bible talks about style? I learned a long time ago that dressing up on the outside might make me feel valuable, but the truth is, you and I both know that is not what determines beauty. We all have seen beautiful people who exhibit ugly behavior. We have also seen many…
