Psychologists tell us that a person’s relationship with his or her mother has a profound impact on the way they grow up and how their thinking is shaped. It makes sense—our mothers carried us closest to themselves in our earliest stages of development and nurtured us in our most vulnerable, helpless state. As a teacher,… Continue reading Things My Mother Taught Me
Whenever I’m asked to share a fun fact about myself in introductions, I often tell people that I grew up without a TV. And without fail, people are inevitably shocked. Or when I say I haven’t seen a certain TV show or movie, the same shocked reaction. When I was younger, I tended to be… Continue reading I Grew Up Without a TV. And I’m Glad I Did.
To all the men out there—grandfathers, fathers, brothers, sons—who seek every day to be what God has called them to be as men: Thank you. Thank you for doing what has become so challenging in our culture. A culture that mocks masculinity and labels it as “toxic.” A culture that’s trying to erase differences between… Continue reading Men, Thank You for Your Manhood & Fatherhood
I have a set of pictures taken one Thanksgiving in my early 20s. It was shortly after I had gotten a new camera, so I was taking pictures of everything. While I was playing Scrabble with the family, I took pictures of my mom, my dad, my brother, the Scrabble board, and then myself. I… Continue reading Embracing the Holidays with the Family You Have
Tonight I went back through the picture albums on my computer to look at old Christmas pictures – all the way back to 2006. Fourteen years of different Christmas celebrations. They all felt the same from year to year, but the pictures tell a different story. The babies got older. Some years, we had lots… Continue reading The Pictures of Christmases Past
The season of celebrating is almost upon us – and for a little more than a month – from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve – we will start seeing the surge of “picture-perfect” family moments on social media. The Thanksgiving dinner table laden with beautiful pies and centerpieces. The kids gathered around a freshly cut… Continue reading Hashtag Picture Perfect
It has now been a month and a half since my father entered his eternal home. And every day that I reflect on the life he lived, I only become more inspired to follow in his footsteps. My father was of a rare breed. He would never have considered himself extraordinary – but the way… Continue reading His was a Life Not Wasted – Thoughts on My Father’s Life
Don’t wait till tomorrow To spend the evening with your dad Or hug your mom one more time Or play one more game with your family. Don’t wait to record their voices, Take pictures of random moments, Listen to that childhood story again, Or burn their memory in your heart. Don’t rush on… Continue reading Don’t Wait Till Tomorrow
All my life I longed for kids of my own. I dreamed about it from as early on as I can remember. It was the reason I tenderly named all my dolls and took care of them as if they were real – why I spent two days in bed because I acted out giving… Continue reading Becoming the Mother I Never Thought I’d Be
I read in a book recently about people striving for affirmation because they didn’t get that from their fathers when they were young. The exact quote was, “When your dad yet again fails to register any appreciation for an accomplishment that means a lot to you, remind yourself what his dad must have been like”… Continue reading When a Girl is Loved by Her Daddy
The Vintage Girl 