My dog can (almost) open a window
So there you are, staring at a door slammed solidly in your face. “When God closes a door, He opens a window!” your friends thoughtfully remind you. That phrase is kind and helpful to remember, but something about it always sits wrong with me. Why would God take away an entire door and then leave
Anonymous kindness matters greatly
My husband and I drove the 90 minutes to the cancer center with no idea what to expect. We knew they were going to confirm I had breast cancer, but beyond that, we were clueless. I wore the white and pink robe around the facility from machine to machine, doctor to doctor, until I got
Show me a picture that makes you smile
Even if your life in general is going swimmingly, I would venture to guess you have things in your sphere that aren’t awesome. My husband doesn’t have a job yet — not awesome. My dog was sick as a dog this week — not awesome. My creative juices are all dried up (with three big
Kindness overflows during times of trouble, including during 1997 flood
Shortly after we were married, my father gave Saul and me matching work boots. I remember being perplexed at the time. We didn’t live on a farm and I wasn’t known for my manual labor skills. Sure enough, Dad was right. In 2009, my husband and I donned our matching boots hour after hour as
Same sweatshirt, different day
I never post on social media on Saturdays or Sundays. I’d stand on my pedestal and say, “The weekend is reserved for my family” but the truth is I’m just a little bit lazy and I like to sleep in. I couldn’t sleep this past Saturday so I shuffled into my office, threw on some
Kansas Kindness: What you look for is what you’ll see
You know what’s better than one third-grade boy in the back seat of your car? Three third-grade boys in the back seat of your car. In the course of a 15-minute ride, my son Ben will ask at least 150 questions, including, “Mom, does Area 51 really exist?” “Mom, do you think there will be
The F Word and High School: my basketball coaching husband lost his job
He turned in his keys, his parking pass, and his staff ID. My husband is no longer employed at Ohio University. I won’t say he was fired because as a general rule I don’t use the “f” word. His contract was up and the Athletic Director decided to go in a different direction. A gentlemanly
