by Mary Button Leslie Knope, the eternal optimist at the heart of the television show Parks and Recreation, creates “Galentine’s Day,” a holiday to celebrate her women friends. In season two, we learn that Leslie dedicates every February 13 to love for the women in her life. In the decade since the episode Galentine’s Day […]
by Elizabeth McBride Well, the last 10 months of 2020 have been a doozy. We’ve seen the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, long-standing racial inequalities, and police brutality. And the list continues. We have grieved over the loss of beloved family members and friends, jobs, and for some, our patience as we tried to […]
Advent talks about waiting and hope. But there is also a deep lament alongside that deep joy.
by Elyssa J. Salinas-Lazarski I’m a planner. I like to look at my month, my week, my day in color-coded control. I have stickers to help me see my to-do lists and multiple pens to keep my thoughts organized. I even have more than one planner to help me keep everything in an orderly fashion. […]
by Elyssa J. Salinas-Lazarski “The Hungry Caterpillar” is one of my 2-year-old’s favorite books. Throughout 12 pages, the caterpillar spends a week eating, growing, and learning before transforming into a beautiful butterfly. I read this with my daughter as we stay inside, awaiting our transformation from pandemic isolation back to a world with hugs, close […]
(CW: This essay was first written in 2020. But while the names in the headlines differ, the message remains the same. We need to believe in and support survivors, and tell our stories. Our stories matter.) by Sara Olson-Smith Our memories are strange things. When we think we’ve got things filed nicely away in the […]
October 2020 Table grace by Emily K. Hartner Our thanksgiving tables may look different this year. God is still with us. Read more Faith reflections: Reclaiming gratitude by Emily K. Hartner How do we experience gratitude in challenging times? Read more November 2020. How to use Café with a group Young women are sharing community, […]
by Emily K. Hartner Do you remember how this year began? At the turn of the decade, we looked to the new year with “2020 vision”—a play on the year 2020 that I thought was clever at the time. In March, the future looked more unclear. What was clear was that a global pandemic […]