On the second day of vacation, I found myself staring into a vast expanse of blue sky, dotted with the occasional cotton-candy cloud. Without context, this is not unusual. I often stare into the sky, enjoying the wonder of it. My kids are used to my instruction to look out a window at a cloud, at color-pairings, at a majestic […]

Part of our life in rural Kansas is harvest. I married the son of a farmer, so summer and fall harvest come with the territory. My mama came from a farming family, so I grew up watching my grandpa and uncle farm as well. It was always so poetic to watch! My grandpa and uncle had a large operation and […]

Have you ever experienced a moment where it felt like scales were peeled back from your eyes and you could see something with absolute clarity? Or for you “Matrix” fans (not me!) you decide to take the red pill rather than the blue “to see how deep the rabbit trail goes”? A couple weeks ago, I was blessed to see […]

It’s Sunday evening. We just finished wiping up the last of the crumbs from strawberry cake, once decorated with KC Royals lettering. New packages of an 800-piece Lego set are spread out on the living room floor. Three sweet kids are chattering, with just a tinge of sugar-induced volume. Earlier we sang “Happy Birthday” as 10 candles flickered, family gathered […]

When I was little, one of my favorite things to do was jump out of a moving swing. With a thrill and perhaps a little nervous exhilaration, I would jump from as high as a dared. The sound of passing wind would tickle my ears as I rushed through it on the way to the ground below. And then I […]

My daughter and I recently went on a road trip. As we headed for home, I spoke this phrase into my phone: “Hey Google, navigate to Hillsboro, Kansas.” It responded: “OK. Navigating to Hillsboro, Kansas.” And off we went. For the first few miles, landmarks were relatively familiar, but then we veered. As if it weren’t enough of an adventure […]

As you may have perceived from other columns I have written over the last several years, I am fascinated by the brain. My fascination began as I worked with a professional therapist in relation to my own trauma and depression. As my understanding broadened, I became more and more convinced that brain health is not optional. One particular realization I […]

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, […]

“Hey Google! Do you burp?” Before I could register the question, a loud, obtrusive sound pierced our kitchen. And that, followed by fits of giggles from my youngsters. Normally I am turned off by rude noises, but in that moment, I turned from the counter where I was preparing supper and laughed. Not an appeasing little chortle, but a real, […]

“Oh Lord, help me not sin in my grief.” I remember praying those words as waves of pain enveloped my body. For the second time in less than six months, I was losing a baby. The first was an ectopic pregnancy in the spring of 2011. I can’t pinpoint an exact date of loss because it took weeks on end […]