I just came in from mowing my lawn, and pulling up a mess of matted, withered, crunchy and dry flower stalks in the beds. It's almost fall, and though it hasn't turned cold and STAYED cold yet, everything is in the process of turning crunchy and withered. I could have let those splayed out viny… Continue reading Let’s Talk About Death, Baby… wait, should we? Shhh!
Tag: vulnerability
Attachment, abandonment, and being a pastor’s spouse in the time of Covid
There's a lot swimming around in my brain right now, and for some reason it kind of came to a head last night as I tried to drift off to sleep. Isn't that always the way? For those of you who don't know me personally, I'm married to a Lutheran (ELCA) pastor. He serves a… Continue reading Attachment, abandonment, and being a pastor’s spouse in the time of Covid
A Tearful Admission
I know it's hard. You may feel overwhelmed. Or attacked. Unfairly accused. Frustrated. Threatened. And tears may come to your eyes. They may spill over and leak down your cheeks. That is okay. Crying is okay, and is not a signal of weakness. (Not that there's a problem with weakness, either. Strength looks different from… Continue reading A Tearful Admission
When Avoidance Ties You up in Knots
We all have things we avoid, or resist, in hopes that if we just ignore the issue for long enough that... it might just go away. Big things or small things. We just seem hardwired from a young age to avoid the hard and uncomfortable things that would work out much better if they were… Continue reading When Avoidance Ties You up in Knots
It’s the most (fill in the blank) time of the year
There's no doubt that the close of the year can be wonderful and festive, but for so many people - and for so many reasons - it can also be stressful, lonely, conflicting, and a huge exercise in coping with expectations versus reality. I just made a list with 80+ names of people of whom… Continue reading It’s the most (fill in the blank) time of the year
When No One’s Laughing Anymore
I came across a post about comedian John Mulaney, and the headline was about him and his girlfriend expecting a child. NBCU photo bank via Getty Images What was more interesting to me, though, was the video of his actual interview with late night host, and his close friend, Seth Myers. You see, while the… Continue reading When No One’s Laughing Anymore
Grace for the Voices
"Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes." This quote, attributed to a social activist named Maggie Kuhn, has always been a personal favorite encouraging reminder. If we have a conviction... a stirring of our heart... a passionate belief, why can it still be so hard to speak out? To share our minds, hearts, words?… Continue reading Grace for the Voices
alive. awake. uncomfortable. 