I got to do something really cool yesterday. I got to sit down with a friend and see the kids’ chapter book she’s spent the last year putting together. Then I got to help her brainstorm ways to get that book published.
It’s like being part of someone’s childbirth. It’s messy and complicated and there are all ... Read More
I slipped my hand into my husband’s and whispered, “You don’t need to say anything. Just stand here with me. I’m scared.”
He knew exactly what I was talking about. Despite being in a gym crowded with youthful basketball players and their excited parents and grandparents, it felt like it was just the two of us. A united front. Ready to ... Read More
Please don’t call me busy.
Busy means I don’t have time to talk on the phone.
Busy means I can’t come to your house for coffee.
Busy means there are more important things in life than you.
And that’s simply not true.
If I tell you I’m too busy, it means I’ve done a bad job of creating margins in my life.
It means I need ... Read More
I went to middle and high school with a girl who always seemed to bound with energy. She was nice to everyone, which meant she was friends with everyone.
Our paths have rarely crossed in the nearly 30 years since graduation. The last I heard, she was a police detective working in Milwaukee, Wis.
I got confirmation of that from another old ... Read More
I have this thing about waving. I love to do it. I get such a kick out of smiling and waving and seeing total strangers wave back.
I think I found my soul mate (other than my husband, of course). Vinnie Rominger, of Battle Creek, Michigan likes to wave at people too. Only, he took it a step further and ... Read More
Sometimes we get numb to certain words. Phrases like, “How are you?” or “I’m praying for you,” or “You’re in my thoughts,” should mean something, but oftentimes they are said so flippantly that they begin to lose their meaning.
Gretchen Robinson, from South Hill, Va., found the power of kindness that lives in those words during a recent health crisis.
“A couple ... Read More
New friends, old friends — sometimes, we just need a friend.
This past May, on my 45th birthday, I got a text from a high school friend. We keep up with each other’s families on Facebook, but that’s about it. Still, when we do talk, it’s like there has been no passage of time.
Along with the text, this friend sent me ... Read More
“There is a miracle on the other side of this mountain.”
I was doing a video chat with a friend and her words awoke the hope inside me. She said it’s her daily mantra. It’s the place she parks her brain when her brain wants to idle in the land of what-ifs.
She heard those words from another friend who saw ... Read More
Don’t cringe if you hate Valentine’s Day. Keep reading. I’m about to share an incredible lesson from a 6-year-old.
Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that is filled with expectations. If there is a sweetheart involved, we tend to expect that person to love us a little better on this particular day. If expectations aren’t met, we may wish the ... Read More
Have you ever leaned into someone during a challenging season in that person’s life?
Did you deliver a casserole or a plate of fresh-baked cookies? As the recipient of both casseroles and cookies, I can tell you they hit their mark and remind us we’re not alone in our suffering.
Kindness is healing, because when we need a friend, we ... Read More
