They gather around the table, these three girls of mine. It's the thing that pulls us together in the morning—a spread of mismatched china plates, usually bearing artfully arranged finger foods. There is always some sort of fruit, and often there are cucumber slices and carrots, crackers and cheese, kielbasa and treats. Sometimes I gently … Continue reading The Quiet Art of Morning Time
There are fingerprints on the television. And on the walls. And on the windows. Tiny little fingerprints made by tiny little hands. And there are crayons buried in the couch and storybooks tucked behind the cushions. I’m going to miss this someday—the messes, the spills, the child-marks left everywhere. Yesterday, I held the littlest one … Continue reading My Beautiful Mess
It’s almost autumn. The mid-afternoon sun is hot, and in the orchard, sleepy cows rest in the shade of an apple tree. Although the tree is old and gnarled, its leaves are still green and plump fruit hangs red. Near the fence, thistles are bursting with wisps of seed waiting to be caught in the … Continue reading (Almost) Autumn Hikes and Room to Breathe
The nest is tiny and delicately woven. The materials are simple and humble—field grass. It sits on the nature shelf in our dining room, a perfect little cup that once held the cream-and-speckled promise of life. Even now, it holds a promise. “Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where … Continue reading The Sparrow’s Home
“Older women … are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” (Titus 2:3-5, NIV) I feel it acutely. There’s my mom, of course. She is an … Continue reading To the moms whose kids are grown…
Life is a funny thing. You think that it will go on forever. That there will always be more time. Another chance. But it doesn’t work that way. It’s not even that I knew Grandpa Ron that well. He was my husband’s grandfather, after all. But for the last nine years, he was my … Continue reading Remembering Grandpa Ron
It was almost midnight on New Year’s Eve. Soon, our sleepy neighbourhood would be loud with happy cheers and bursts of fireworks. But for a few more minutes, there was silence. The year had been long and it felt good to turn the page. Spread out before us was a new chapter. No mistakes yet. No … Continue reading 2016: A New Chapter Begins
