Back in the olden days, you wore black to show you were in mourning over a lost loved one. These days, there is no signifier we wear to show the world we are grieving. We may disappear from the public arena for a while but eventually, we need groceries, and to earn a paycheck, and […]
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Desert plants thrive in the desert. Tropical plants thrive in the tropics. Wildflowers thrive in the forest. But have you ever felt like a palm tree among pines? A bird of paradise among roses? Have you ever been transplanted to foreign soil, unsure if your roots will ever grow deep enough for you to thrive? […]
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Earlier this month, I drove 95 miles to a speaking engagement up in Orange County. I plugged my phone into my car’s stereo system and listened to a podcast with the occasional interruption from Google Maps. Eighty miles into my road trip and I pressed the “OFF” button on the car radio. I needed space […]
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Growing up as a missionary kid in France had its perks, and the local bakery (or boulangerie) was one of them. In the front counter space of our nearest boulangerie were pastries of all sorts—elegant creations low on sugar and high on butter. Bins lining the wall boasted candy you could purchase by the gram—my […]
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I used to be able to watch the news. I could stomach the tragedies and injustices around the world with sorrow held out at arm’s length. But something happened on the day my first baby was born: my heart turned to glass. The nurse laid him against my chest, and his warm softness made me […]
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When we first took our cat to the vet, he told us to keep her nails clipped. Mowgli, our half-feral kitten who had come galloping out of a patchy swamp in the country woods, was affectionate but not cooperative. Call it her independent streak or chalk it up to her wild roots, but anytime we […]
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My seven-year-old looked adorable in his basketball jersey. It hung down way past his waist, but he didn’t care. He was too excited for his first day of the basketball program through our YMCA: skills assessment day. He was one of the most enthusiastic participants on the gym floor, and we cheered him on from […]
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I’ll never forget the day when my three year old turned the tables on me. We were on our way to a birthday party, but had to stop for a quick errand first. After we left the store, I stowed some groceries in the back of our car, then buckled Henry into his carseat. Just […]
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Around this time of year, we are inundated with tips and tricks from experts, gurus, and influencers about how to live better, do better, BE better. We are encouraged to look at our lives and our selves and determine what we want to change. We look in the mirror and all of our body issues […]
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This morning, I sneaked downstairs twenty minutes before my alarm, sat with my coffee in the living room, and listened to the rain on the windowpane. I stared at our Christmas tree, admiring the twinkling lights and the ornaments, even the silly ones. In just a few days, our tree will be gone, stowed away […]
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Sarah K. Butterfield 