by Erin Strybis Just one more basket of laundry, then I’ll go work out. Sun spills through the blinds of my son’s room as I sit cross-legged folding toddler-size pants and shirts. Head pounding, I gaze at the dog, sprawled out on the colorful carpet. But what I could really use is a nap. Instead, […]
by J. Dana Trent I am a migraineur, a fancy term for people who sometimes feel as though ice picks are being driven into their brains. Nearly 38 million Americans suffer from migraines, creating a multibillion-dollar industry to treat them. My migraines can be caused by anything: light, food, smells, weather changes, hormone fluctuations, too […]
by Kristen Glass Perez Recently, I received a request from a friend who is an expert in her professional field. She wanted to share that she was quoted in a national publication via social media, but felt awkward posting it herself. She asked me to post it for her. I was happy to do so. […]
by Ralen M. Robinson I wish there were more hours in a day. Recently my life has consisted of scattered sticky notes full of memos, sleepless nights and a to-do list longer than the eye can see. These past few months, I have been running from one place to another with too few breaks. I […]
by Elizabeth Hunter Something happened at church—probably three Ash Wednesdays ago—that got me thinking about scars. After the imposition of ashes, our family began trooping back to the pew. But my youngest child stopped me in the middle of the aisle, gesturing for me to bend down. “People are staring at my face,” he whispered […]
by Lisa Heffernan Just about every Sunday morning, three men from a nearby group home for adults with disabilities come to worship at the congregation I serve. Accompanied by their carer for the day, they enter the sanctuary and say hello to the ushers and me before picking up bulletins and taking their places in […]
by Meghan Johnston Aelabouni My six-year-old daughter Natalie is like a lot of first graders: equal parts serious and silly, old and young. She often comes home from school full of newfound wisdom to share, as though she were the first person ever to discover subtraction or photosynthesis. . . and she still plays with […]
by SommerAnn McCullough Every year about this time, as I prepare for Thanksgiving and the rush of the Christmas season that is soon to follow, I look forward to the many traditions my family keeps. I love choosing the first Christmas playlist that we will listen to while preparing Thanksgiving dinner, snuggling up to watch […]
by Angela Khabeb It was the day after Thanksgiving 2005, Black Friday, the shoppers’ delight. As my friend, Michelle, and I pulled into the mall parking lot, I had a terrible, but fleeting thought: My baby hasn’t been very active today. But I quickly dismissed the idea. I swept it away, telling myself, you’re tired […]
