“Mommy, watch!” She twirls through the living room, nightgown billowing around her legs. “Watch me!” she pleads, spinning and dancing in the hope of her mother’s regard. “Please notice me,” the teenager begs silently, scrutinizing herself in the mirror, before casting her beauty as an offering in front of the lunchroom crowd or flaunting her … Continue reading See Me
Identity
Significance
When I started blogging, it quickly became apparent that I had no idea what I was doing, so I signed up for a writers’ conference in hopes of finding help and maybe making some like-minded friends. At the conference, I was told that the aim of all things is to write a book and win … Continue reading Significance
Cooper’s Coat of Many Colors
He’s just a dog. A plain one. We adopted Cooper from a rescue organization last winter, and now he has claimed a place on our couch and in our hearts. He’s just a brown dog with a black muzzle - nothing fancy; not carefully bred. Nothing much to look at, until he’s lying next to … Continue reading Cooper’s Coat of Many Colors
Where Our Ends Meet
We adopted three of our children. It is a miraculous, complicated, thrilling and terrifying way to become a family. Our children have been our teachers on this adventure. Their presence replaced our expectations with simple wonder. They have each had a hand in casting our tightly-wound bundle of assumptions into God’s glorious basket of possibilities. … Continue reading Where Our Ends Meet
A Common Face
It happened again last week. This time it was an older gentleman at the doctor's office. "You look so familiar," he said, squinting his eyes and tipping his head slightly. From there the questions branched off into possible mutual friends, workplaces, or schools. This happens to me regularly. I look just like someone's sister-in-law /college … Continue reading A Common Face
Turning Toward Light
Pessimism is my soul’s default setting. Even when life is filled with blessing, melancholy has always been my temperament’s natural course. As a result, it has been the work of my Christian life to turn away from the darkness and look up, look away, notice beauty and give thanks. But although I have been training … Continue reading Turning Toward Light
Legacy
I am visiting the land of my ancestors this week. One of America’s earliest settlements, it is now filled with tourists and the industries that serve them. The tourists take pictures of the 17th century jail where my 10th great-grandfather served time and feast on lobster that was once so common that it was fed … Continue reading Legacy
When Adoption Comes Full Circle
The invitation arrived in January. “I hope you can come,” she said. “I would love for our families to meet.” She found me a few years back through Facebook, approaching with respect and grace. We reached out tentatively at first, then forged a sisterhood nurtured by a gradual opening of hearts around the shared love … Continue reading When Adoption Comes Full Circle
Identity
I did my best at the time. As white parents in a white town, we were tasked with giving our multiracial children tools with which to form their identities. So I bought the diverse books. I made sure our nativity set was ethnically accurate. I read about adoption and race. We drove to the city … Continue reading Identity
A View of the Lake 