If you’ve been around the blog for a while, you know that I practice a quarterly habit of reflection. I started this habit years ago, alongside one of my secret writing mentors, Emily P Freeman, who also had a quarterly reflection post. In the beginning, it was difficult to figure out what I’m learning in …
It’s hard to give grace in real time. Often, when we need it most, it’s hard to find. Grace has a few definitions. If you were to look it up in the dictionary, you’d see definitions like, “an ease and fluidity of movement or manner,” “a pleasing appearance,” and even “a short prayer before a …
The American mentality is one of abundance. More is better. Bigger is better. Why settle for less when you could have more? But what if that’s backward? What if we were meant to stay small? What If I Can’t Be Anything I Want To Be I remember growing up and hearing, “You can be anything …
Few things are as mundane, as automatic, as making a cup of coffee. If you’re like me, you figured out what you like years ago. Now, it’s just a matter of mixing in a little sugar and cream and calling it a day. Routines can be comforting. In the mundane things that we do every …
The reality of creative work is that you often don’t feel like you have anything meaningful to say. That’s me this week. I’ve got a few other real-life projects occupying my mind, leaving me feeling a bit scattered. Last week’s post was one I’ve been thinking about and writing in fits and spurts for a …
I never thought this challenge would affect my life so much. This month, I challenged myself to write and post one haiku a day on Instagram. The idea was born out of a desire to live and love my real life. For a while, I’ve felt on autopilot – each day home with the kids, …
I’ll never forget my first fireworks show as a married woman. Sitting on the hood of our car, together with my new husband, our marriage was barely out of its first trimester. We parked in a dirt lot, away from the excitement of the celebration, with a few other families. I had moved south and …
It can be easy to get caught up in the logistics of a move. Often, many things have to happen in a short time. And having things to do keeps your mind busy. It’s easy to put your anxieties about a move to the side when you have a to-do list a mile long and …
If you’ve never had to house camp before, it can be tricky to think through it. House camping is when you’re still at home but without all your things. This can be on the leaving end, either after your stuff is in boxes or after it’s on its way to your next duty station. Or …
My husband and I have been married for 10 years. And the vast majority of that time, we’ve lived overseas. My first official duty station as a military spouse was Japan. When we were offered the chance to stay overseas, we took it—and moved to Italy. In all the years we were overseas, we only …
