I was fresh out of words. With arms folded across my chest, I looked out the bay window as if I might find fresh fire for my prayers. It seemed as though each one fell flat or hit some invisible wall, not reaching the place I needed it to. For years, I didn’t realize you could grieve a living person. In my mind, you only grieved for those who left this life for the next or perhaps those fighting a terminal illness. But someone still alive? I didn’t see it. Until one day, through a Continue Reading
When the Holidays Cause Joy and Pain to Collide
There’s something about the holidays that magnifies our deepest emotions. Our joy and our pain collide, dizzying us at times. Our comfort and our grief come together, often leaving us searching for answers. In the midst of the carols, the lights and hunts for the perfect gifts, we sometimes flounder on a roller coaster of feelings. How do we find solid ground? What is it that can make this time of year both hard and joyous at the same time? Two weeks ago, a person I dated in college died. Continue Reading
Hope for the One Who Feels Misunderstood
It was the first day of the writer’s conference, and after my second cup of coffee, I finally felt somewhat awake. I went to the second floor of the hotel where they were filming a video and recognized a writer’s face from a popular website. Everyone in the room was exchanging hugs. I introduced myself, and she smiled, seeming to know me from our interaction online. So, I stretched out my arms. Not the right move. After an awkward embrace, I could tell. She was not a hugger. I wanted to Continue Reading
