Because sometimes milestones can be equally joy-filled and heart-breaking. “Mom, let go.” * Three small words A punch to the gut Tears behind sunglasses Broken heart * Black bicycle seat Released from my grasp Unfettered boy Riding free * Simple mastery of Two-wheels But to me It is more * He can do it On his own Reliance on me Ever decreasing * A mama’s pride Mingled with loss Most heart-wrenching Mix of emotions * Down the path He pedals alone Grinning, bursting with Joy of independence * Bless that boy Father I pray And comfort the mama Who let…
The term voice gets thrown around a lot in the writing world. It is one of those concepts that I feel should be easy to grasp, but is just out of my reach. I am not convinced I know what my voice is. I am, however, learning what it is not. Over my past couple years of freelancing, I have had two specific experiences when I read my published piece and thought, “Hmmm, that doesn’t sound like me.” Sometimes editors make very few changes to my original submission, but twice my words have been changed to the point that though…
…Mary Potter Kenyon. Carter drew her name from the jar, and I am pleased to send her a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotional Stories for Women. She has been a blessing to me since I spent 12 hours in a car with her last June to and from a writer’s conference in Chicago. You can become fast-friends when you are in an enclosed space for such a long period of time. 🙂 She is a terrific writer whom God has taken through some deep valleys of grief. Her first book Coupon Crazy came out this summer. Her second…
My two oldest children are convinced they will never get married, so I very well could have just wasted my money on this book. But I’m all for being prepared “just in case.” 😉 When I first saw Kevin Leman’s picture as keynote speaker on the Hearts at Home Conference website a few years ago, I thought, “Oh great, he looks pretty stuffy, boring and preachy.” Far from it! He was my favorite speaker at the conference. He is completely engaging and funny in real life and in print. His books are educational and insightful, but they are also so darn entertaining, that…
How fitting that while we were on the Superior Hiking Trail for our first ever family overnight backpacking trip, this arrived in the mail. A box of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotional Stories for Women books with a devotional story I wrote based on my first ever backpacking trip with Corey, which also happened to be on the Superior Hiking Trail. I abandoned my comfort zone for that first trip and took part in one of Corey’s adventures. And I enjoyed it enough that I’ve since gone on three more similar trips. What out-of-your-comfort-zone thing have you done for someone you love?…