When death shrouds Mother’s Day — I thought I’d be better at this by now — missing her. Some years it’s not as bad. Other years it feels unbearable. Time has helped, but time also hurts. The loss grows less foreign each year. But each year also carries me further away from her. When my mother…

Three short pieces on grief, depression & joy — Happiness Takes Courage Happiness takes courage. You have to be brave to surrender to joy. When every molecule of your being has been mourning — when loss has permeated and ruptured your heart — you must be dauntless to pursue mirth. You must find great multitudes of grace to forgive yourself for forgetting…

Two short pieces on spring’s precipitation — Rain Is an Invitation Rain quenches the thirst of the earth. Falling like promises. Drenching the dirt. Rain is an invitation to play. To jump in puddles. To leap. To wade. Rain is like a second chance. Cleansing every surface. Making life fresh. Rainy days make space for turning within. They invite deep thoughts. …

“I’m open. God, show me how good it can get.” — God, show me how good it can get if I put my trust in you instead of in my plans. Show me how good it can get if I worry less — much less. Show me how good it can get if I don’t try to change anyone or judge…

Wishing I Could Visit the Past — Sometimes I wish I could go back in time — jump on a plane and visit the past like I visit Grenada or Paris. It’s not so much that I have regrets. I just want to be better immersed in my own network of history. There are so many moments…

Thoughts on the blessings and burdens of life — It’s good to be alive, but it is also hard at times and scary. There is so much beauty and so much to love, but that means there is much vulnerable to destruction and much it will hurt to lose. It is good to be alive, but it is also…

A short piece in honor of the vernal equinox — A moment of silence for the passing of winter. Her season has ended, so we bid her farewell. She will be best remembered for her beautiful snow coverings — her unique bleached tapestries. She could coat anything in white — from cars to homes to mountains. It is true that…

A Lesson for American Heart Month — On this, the final day of American Heart Month, the heart is very much on my mind. In the days leading up to and following Valentine’s Day, my heart was trying to tell me something, but I either didn’t understand the language it was speaking or had it on mute. …

When thoughts & prayers feel insufficient — Death. What a small yet ominous word. I remember being so afraid of death as a child that I put off reading Judy Blume’s Superfudge for a whole year. Of course, once I actually read the book, I loved it. In fact, Judy Blume was my first favorite author. But…