TEEN
On December 9, 2017 my middle son left for the Navy boot camp. He was 21 years old. He had no military parents, brothers, or hugely patriotic upbringing. I don’t even like the president. But my son Gabriel had talked about enlisting, off and on, for years, and the...
For most women, motherhood is an emotional giant. We go into labor as one human being, and come home as two. Motherhood is more than just pregnancy or labor. It’s certainly more than changing diapers and feeding on a schedule. For those with school-aged children, it’s...
Last week my teenager got in trouble. He got in normal, “I am fifteen and being an idiot with a few of my friends” kind of trouble. I always knew the day would come when we would have to address a situation where he'd get caught doing something we'd certainly...
Tears of frustration run down my face after my emotionally drunk, pre-teen daughter, gives me the finger and tells me she hates me. I have to walk away, with her phone in my hand, and give myself a “time out” to prevent myself from saying anything I will regret...
“I had given up some youth for knowledge but my gain was much greater than my loss." This quote by Maya Angelou perfectly describes my motherhood journey. For me, being a mom has meant the deep loss of a life I never knew and the ongoing rediscovery of myself. If...
My husband Ben and I started our family like most couples a few years after we were married. After a period of infertility, our son Samuel was born. We completed a trifecta with 3 amazing sons joining our family through birth, yet our hearts did not feel done with...