There is no such thing as a mom who has it all together.
In America, we live within the borders we see on maps. Lines drawn across vast stretches of land define futures, with no regard to circumstance. Where I live, in Northern California, I can drive for a few hours and cross the border into Nevada. There is no wall, no physical border between us. I just … Continue reading A City With No Walls
You may have clicked the link today to see how many things I purged from my home, but the only thing that was purged from me this week was hope. As I have purged things from my home, the items that remain have become illuminated. These precious things that made the cut somehow feel more … Continue reading Purging Hope
It feels like a lifetime ago that I sat on bar stools, sucking in the smoke of menthol cigarettes. I don't even relate to that broken girl, clothed in the shame of her childhood and the decisions born from her brokenness. Far too long I lived a life that was not my own; a life … Continue reading The Shame of Success
It has been seven days - that's one hundred and sixty eight hours or, more dramatically, ten-thousand and eighty minutes - since my last encounter with sugar. Last Saturday night, I savored those Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies, topped with coffee ice cream, knowing it would be the last time I partook of such an … Continue reading Silencing the Flesh
I don’t adapt well to sudden change. I know I developed that character trait as a result of a chaotic childhood, where sudden change stemmed from eminent danger or was followed by the loss of something that made me feel secure. That isn’t to say that I don’t like change. I actually thrive on change. … Continue reading Preparing for the Journey
Have you ever learned something, and the minute that the knowledge hit you, you knew that you were going to have to make a change? Like, maybe you read in a newspaper article that the CEO of your favorite charity earned a salary that was so ridiculously high that you knew at that very moment … Continue reading The Power to Choose
Last Friday, I was alone at my office much later than I normally would be. Having spent the day leisurely enjoying my family, I got in late, took a long lunch with my favorite son (ok, my only son), and ended up staying at my desk longer than normal. At around 6pm, over the top … Continue reading Living Water
Even as a teenager, I knew that the light was my refuge. If I could just hold on until daybreak, I would be able to rest my eyes, to sleep in peace. I have nothing left to give, and I have no fight left in me, and right now, I am just holding on until daybreak.
It was a hot, Summer afternoon and I was sitting at a small, high-top table in my friend's dining room. She was hosting a going away party for her cousin, a young man I had met just a few months before. A few women were playing a game at one end of the table, and … Continue reading One Degree of Change
We've all heard the old adage, "Timing is everything." We often get ahead of ourselves, or impatient, and want things to happen right now. But, when everything comes together in God's perfect timing, amazing things happen - both for us and those who surround us. For me, impatience is generally the result of not knowing. … Continue reading Scars
Uncommonly Common Mom 