By almost every account I’m seeing, people agree that the year 2020 is a mess. A mess so big we don’t know how to climb out of it and we always know how to climb out of everything. Every time things start to look better and we get a glimmer of hope, something new comes …
To Selfishly Love
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. ~Revelation 21:4 I have going to see my aunt on my to-do list. It’s been much too long since I …
Growing Up as a Country Kid
You were outside more than you were inside. You had some type of farm animal(s) in your backyard. Maybe even an incubator in the house. You know how to shuck corn and shell beans. Baskets full. You’ve picked your pumpkins, watermelons, cantaloupes, and strawberries right out of the field and your blueberries off the bush. …
More Than a Ring
When it was time for an engagement, my then boyfriend went to Jared’s and picked out a diamond ring based on the three C’s – none of which I cared about. A pretty ring was enough. I will never know how much that ring cost but I’m sure it was more than he should have …
A Small Town View
Some of us leave, and some of us stay. I think it would be fair to say that all of us, at one time or another, imagine ourselves in different, flashier places than the hometown we grew up in. It’s easy to think about all the things you are missing, and miss out on the …
I Didn’t Know
I didn’t know that it was so difficult to make a decision to put your child on medicine. I have taught at all grade levels in public school across three counties, K-12, and I was shocked to learn that so many young kids were on medicine. ADHD, Anxiety, and Depression were the most common. I …
Reading will Not Stop Racism
I’ve seen lots of people posting books to read to help others gain more understanding of the history of racism and the Black Lives Matter movement. Tonight, the news reported that sales on Amazon have increased for books about these issues. I love to read. I love to learn about different cultures. I have so …
Teaching is a Thousand Things
Teaching is a thousand things, like grains of sand that sift and fall. You could try, but you could never name them all. It’s the pull of the little hand that reaches for you down the hall, The smiles and laughs and cards and gifts, the parent who takes the time to call. It’s the …
Mean Girls
What do I want my three daughters to know about mean girls? They are toxic and they don’t grow out of it. Sometimes when we think about mean girls, we think about high school. But mean girls start in elementary school, they continue and often get more intense in middle and high school, and then …
The Benefit of Your Comfort Zone
We often see our comfort zones as a place we should want to get out of, and the risks and adventure seeking nature of our culture often reinforces that view. We are encouraged to live life to the fullest by trying new things, visiting new places, and experiencing the accompanying adrenaline rush. As a result …