I appreciate the freedoms we enjoy as citizens of America. I am proud to be from a land that promotes civil and religious rights. We proudly pledge allegiance to our country. But, I never imagined that I would be preparing to send my son to basic training this summer. I imagined I would continue to…
Monthly Archives: May 2011
Let freedom ring
Happy Memorial Day! For a mama with a son that is scheduled to head to basic training for the Army National Guard in less than three months, this day is more poignant than usual. Thank you to our service men and women that protect our country and are willing to fight for our freedom. And,…
The Monster
The imperfections of a man, his frailties, his faults, are just as important as his virtues. You can’t separate them. They’re wedded. ~Henry Miller I remember well the days that perfectionism consumed my life. I suppose I came by the desire quite naturally. A father who demanded more than the best. Raised by grandparents whose…
Fill my tank
Why do we run on empty and then wonder why we are stressed and burnt out? This was a question posed by my pastor a few months ago. I wrote it down because, while an obvious sentiment, I forget this principle far too often in my busy life. I have been running on empty lately. …
TTT- When you don’t get it
The van door opens and a sweaty, smiling, stinky boy climbs in. I prompt him to put on his seatbelt as he excitedly tells me about his evening. “My legs are numb, I think I dislocated my thumb and I have a headache from my head hitting the mat…man, wrestling is awesome!” Huh?? One…
A beautiful day
Yesterday was a beautiful day. We walked with our two graduates in a special recognition ceremony at church. Two kids who have beat the odds to reach this milestone in their lives. Our hearts were full of love and pride and gratitude. …
Because you are here
I knew you were a boy. When the ultrasound confirmed, you began to be real to me. Deep within my sixteen year old self something shifted. Your kicks motivated me to relinquish the nicotine addiction. Your flutters prompted me to eat, despite the harsh grasp of an eating disorder. The baby I didn’t think I…
What I learned from Oprah
I have watched Oprah for as long as I can remember. A woman to look up to for a girl who shared similar wounds from childhood. A woman that rose above the challenges of her life and desired to do good things for others. As I grew and realized we thought differently about many things,…
God is still in the miracle business
RAD ODD PTSD “We are absolutely amazed that you have stuck with him this long” “It would be completely understood if you walked away from this child right now” Those were some of the labels and statements made to my husband and I, by social workers, psychiatrists and therapists, over the last 12 years of…
Parenting and illness
There is a sad story circulating the news outlets that has mothers {including myself} outraged. A judge in North Carolina has taken primary custody of a mother’s young children away, mostly because she is battling stage 4 breast cancer. {A summary of the story and other posts on the web can be found here.} While…
