Reflections on the intersection of faith and life's small moments
Is anything ever finished? It often doesn’t feel that way. We put so much emphasis on task completion and accomplishing goals that how we got there gets lost in the shuffle. At least I do that. I’ve always enjoyed crossing things off the list more than doing them. There’s such satisfaction with sitting back and…
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If. Two tiny letters. One small word. A huge impact. It’s a powerful word of condition, full of possibility and regret. In the future, if can make anything happen: If I get into my dream school . . . If I lose weight . . . If I win the lottery . . . In…
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After two years of studying and getting back into teaching, I had planned to spend this summer working on my book, doing some daytrips, and going to back to Lithuania for a couple of weeks. Then two major issues sidelined those plans. 1) I found out I have Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.…
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Pausing, resting, stopping – in our fast-paced world even the slightest break in routine can feel underserved. We often feel that if we stop, maybe we won’t get going again, so it’s better to run ourselves ragged. A body in motion stays in motion, a body at rest stays at rest. This law of physics…
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Today is overcast and grey. I’ve never done well on gray overcast days. They seem to suck up my energy and make me lethargic and contemplative. I didn’t notice this about myself, however, until I lived in Russia for two years after college. The winters are long, cold, and grey in St. Petersburg. Everyone knows…
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Have I mentioned how much I love fabric? I don’t think so. Allow me to mention it. I love textiles. The feel – smooth, cool silk; cozy, warm flannel; crisp, strong cotton. The patterns and designs – each one a piece of art. The possibilities – a dress, an apron, a quilt? Yes, a quilt.…
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A couple of weeks ago I got bit by an unidentified insect. Three times on the inner crease of my left arm. I have no idea who the culprit was or when it happened. I do know that it got infected, with a large red bullseye around two of the bites. Almost a week after…
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I always say that fall and spring are my favorite seasons – usually in the dead of winter or scorching summer when I’m looking forward to relief from extreme temperatures. But as the winter freeze begins to thaw, I find 80 degrees with glittering sunshine one day and 50 degrees with overcast skies and pouring…
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Another tragedy. Another mass shooting. The same reactions. The same comments on social media. The same satiric cartoons. The same charts, graphs, and statistics. The same old rhetoric. What wasn’t the same was my reaction. As I scrolled through my social media accounts and saw the tears, anger, frustration I didn’t feel the same way…
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When I taught English in New York a number of years ago, I worked with another teacher who often talked about her privileged upbringing. I can’t speak for her intentions, only how it made me feel. Less than. Not good enough. Unworthy. I felt as though I didn’t deserve as much as she did. I…
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