The shouts echo from the family room and as much as I try to avoid them, I know I’ll have to referee. I can’t see what’s taking place, but I know. My rising blood pressure is a sure sign. As I stand in the doorway, my suspicions are confirmed. There are hundreds of toys strewn across the house, but my four-year-old wants the one her big brother is playing with. It doesn’t matter that the airplane is missing a wheel and a fin. The reason she wants it is quite simple. Her brother has it. As Continue Reading
Hope to Anchor Your Soul in the Midst of Rejection
When we moved to this area ten years ago, I was sure we'd be friends with this family down the street. Our boys were in the same class. We saw each other at school and stood at the bus stop together each morning when they started kindergarten. But somehow, it never happened. My family’s attempts to reach out weren’t rejected just once, but repeatedly. On two separate occasions my brave son rode his bike down the street to invite them over for a Nerf battle. When my husband told me, I prayed Continue Reading
The Danger in Letting Others Define Who We Are
“Don’t ever say you’re just a mom.” I spun around, startled at the realization that my conversation wasn’t private. I was talking to the cashier at a local toy store about school and pursuing a career in writing. Both my boys were tiny at the time, and before I knew it the statement that I was “just a mom” spilled out of my mouth. It wasn’t that I didn’t think mothering was important. It had more to do with other’s perception. Or at least, that’s what I thought. When I turned I saw an Continue Reading
