Earlier this year, I wrote about my dad retiring from the career that had taken them so far from us. A couple of months later, they started getting the itch. Not the “why are we here in life” itch, but the serious, practical itch: why are we in Tennessee when all of our children… Continue reading Welcome Home, Mamie and Papa
While I was cleaning my basement a few weeks ago, I made a discovery. My high school diary. If you ever want to see how much you’ve evolved, try reading anything you wrote before the age of 17. Fair warning: it can be a wild ride for your self-esteem. I should mention I’ve been feeling… Continue reading Dear Diary, Why Was I So Pathetic?
During Christmas break in 1987, our small-town Ohio high school band had the incredible opportunity to travel to Orlando, Florida, to compete in the Citrus Bowl Parade and Marching Band Competition. It felt huge for us at the time—one of those once-in-high-school experiences that made everything else fade into the background. Of course, getting there… Continue reading Citrus Bowl Trip – Lexington Band of Gold 1987
I know you’re looking off to the side because the guy at Photorama told you to. Look over there, wistfully. You probably didn’t even know what wistful meant back then. I’m writing to you because I’ve been helping plan our 30-year reunion with a group of friends. We’ve been going through old yearbooks, tracking people… Continue reading Dear 17-Year-Old-Self
When I was a young adult thinking about having babies, I could only focus on one thing: the pain.Or maybe the vomiting.Pain and vomiting.Vomiting and pain.That’s all I could wrap my little head around. I was neurotic enough about having sex for the first time because I knew there would be pain.And, honestly, I was… Continue reading My Baby Story: More Animal Planet Than TLC
There is a particular feeling that shows up for me this time of year. It arrives quietly, usually disguised as an email reminding parents that the first day of school is almost here. Depending on the moment I read it, I can feel pulled in two directions at once. If I had opened that email… Continue reading Not Looking Forward
A Grace Full Life 