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Hello 40, I’ve Been Waiting for You

Woman wearing 1983 Original shirt, color photo

Recently, a friend gave me a sweatshirt displaying the words “Nineteen 83 Original.” I slipped the soft fabric over my head and pushed my arms through; the cozy sweatshirt fit perfectly. I looked down at the retro print, loudly and proudly displaying the year: ’83. I contemplated whether to wear it out that night. It was comfortable, I liked the way it felt and looked, and it was honest—I was literally wearing my age. Was that okay? Would my mom have ever worn a shirt that so boldly proclaimed her age? My aunts? My grandma? Never ask a woman her...

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When Mom Gets a Migraine Life Must Still Go On

In: Living, Motherhood

Mother has a headache, sitting on the couch with kids running around in blur

I can’t tell the story of paramedics from the angle from which they see things, but I can tell it from the angle of the person looking up at them—the one lying in the medically-equipped vehicle with lights flashing and siren audible. There are some lessons in life we learn by blindside—we are thrust into them. That was me that May day in the ambulance. I had known about migraines; I had decades of first-hand experience with them. I knew vision could be temporarily taken. I have operated countless days with an invisible hammer continuously beating one side of my...

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My Childhood Home Is Forever a Part of Me

In: Grown Children, Living

Mother, father, daughter, older color photo

Of all the places I will roam, home is forever part of me. I can see the bright, orange poppies coming out to grace the springtime hills. I can hear the classic hymns being played on the familiar piano—its notes drifting God’s praise throughout the house. I can smell the fragrant aroma of brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and oats mixing together to make the cookies of my childhood. I can touch your warm embrace—the firm hug that has always communicated that it will all be okay, that God has us held in the palm of his hands. I can taste...

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Our Kids Need to See Us Slow Down Too

In: Living, Motherhood

Friends with feet up around a fire pit, color photo

I have a girlfriend who has a lake house just over an hour away. It’s in a small town that has a local Mexican restaurant with a fun, easy-going staff that feels like they have to be family. There have been times over the last few years that something about that casual, bright restaurant with its rowdy waiters and surprisingly outstanding, cheap food makes me feel so content. The small lake town is not that far from home, but it feels far enough away to be unavailable to my responsibilities and have a tiny piece of that vacation vibe (without...

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Dear Teachers, Thank You Will Never Be Enough

In: Kids, Living

Growing up a teacher’s daughter has given me a lifetime of appreciation for educators. Of course, it’s true; I may be biased. I’ve been fortunate to have learned and been guided by many outstanding teachers, including my mother and grandmother, who passed those legacy skills onto my daughter, who strongly feels teaching is her calling. But if you’ve had your eyes and ears open in recent years, you, too, probably feel deep gratitude for the angels among us who work in the school system. So, as the school year ends, and on behalf of parents, grandparents, and anyone who loves...

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When the Last Baby Graduates

In: Grown Children, Living, Motherhood

Graduate with parents smiling, cap and gown

We’ve been through this before, so we know the waves of emotions that roll through us. When our kids graduate—be it from preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, or college—we moms come to terms with one season ending and a new one beginning. RELATED: I Blinked and You Went From Kindergarten to College When it’s your last child who is graduating from college, this can feel like uncharted territory. Yes, we know that we find new rhythms to our relationship from having gone through this with our other child(ren). But we as moms have not yet left the college...

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The Face In the Mirror Has Changed, But It Tells My Story

In: Living, Motherhood

Woman standing in kitchen next to roses, color photo

If I were to do an inventory of my home of 42 years, I would get a grip on what should be thrown out, given away, or kept. The older I become, the more difficult it is for me to make these decisions. I attempted making a list of personal items I would like each of my sons to have (not that they wouldn’t get rid of them after I am gone) and have started thinking about items to bequeath to grandchildren. I believe I know which son would be happy to acquire books, which son would gladly be the...

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I’ll Do Whatever It Takes to Fight for My Mental Health

In: Living

Woman holding white pill in hand, color photo

Trigger warning: self-harm and suicide mentioned Today, I did one of the hardest things I’ve ever done: I started anxiety medication. I’ve struggled with anxiety as far back as I can remember. At age eight and on, I remember having crowd and social anxiety and being forced into situations where I felt so unstable. Church functions, stage freight, crowds of people I didn’t feel safe around. At age 15, I experienced my first panic attack. I remember thinking I was having a heart attack, wondering why I’d be dying from a heart attack so young. It wasn’t until I was...

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I’m Done Teaching and the Goodbye Is Hard

In: Living

Packing up several years’ worth of supplies purchased with my own money, I heave a deep exhale. The room looks so bare now. It’s less colorful and joyful. It’s lost its magic. I kind of feel the same way about myself. After months of contemplation and decision-making, I won’t be unpacking these boxes when school returns in August. I won’t be returning to the classroom at all. Somewhere along the way, I seem to have lost some of that teacher magic that once sparkled so brilliantly. But if I’ve spent so much time making this choice, why am I overcome...

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Never Allow Kids on Riding Lawn Mowers: One Dad’s Terrifying Warning

In: Living

As we strolled the neighborhood last night, it seemed like almost everyone was out mowing their lawns. It was one of those early summer evenings that was almost perfect—70s, calm, not too many bugs—just right for tackling some yard work. When we got home, I noticed a friend had shared a post on Facebook that made me stop in my tracks—because I’d just seen the very thing it was warning about, and I hadn’t considered the danger. Buddy Shoemaker, a father of three in New Hampshire, shared a sobering post about his youngest son, Grady, and the accident that nearly...

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Baby

There's Just Something About That First Pregnancy

Keeping Ourselves in Check During Quarantine Might Take Some Extra Effort

Living

Hello 40, I’ve Been Waiting for You

When Mom Gets a Migraine Life Must Still Go On

My Childhood Home Is Forever a Part of Me

Our Kids Need to See Us Slow Down Too

Dear Teachers, Thank You Will Never Be Enough

When the Last Baby Graduates

The Face In the Mirror Has Changed, But It Tells My Story

I’ll Do Whatever It Takes to Fight for My Mental Health

I’m Done Teaching and the Goodbye Is Hard

Never Allow Kids on Riding Lawn Mowers: One Dad’s Terrifying Warning

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Hello 40, I’ve Been Waiting for You

When Mom Gets a Migraine Life Must Still Go On

My Childhood Home Is Forever a Part of Me

Our Kids Need to See Us Slow Down Too

Dear Teachers, Thank You Will Never Be Enough

When the Last Baby Graduates

The Face In the Mirror Has Changed, But It Tells My Story

I’ll Do Whatever It Takes to Fight for My Mental Health

I’m Done Teaching and the Goodbye Is Hard

Never Allow Kids on Riding Lawn Mowers: One Dad’s Terrifying Warning

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