Category Archives: Relationships

Storms, Love, and a Magic Scarf

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I arrive at the airport early, and the sale signs on the shop windows begin to lure me away from my destination, but I say to myself, “No! First find your gate so you know for sure where you’re going and if the flight is still on time.” 
I stroll up to E20, proud of myself for not oversleeping, and as I begin to read the screen with the flight number and time, an airline employee announces, “Last call for flight 456 to Charlotte, North Carolina.” 
Being the detail oriented person that I am, I need to investigate. Is this the same Flight 456 that connects to Birmingham, Alabama? I approach the desk casually.
“Excuse me.” I pull out my boarding pass to read Flight #456 is the first leg of my trip. “Is this the same flight…Uh, never mind. I see that the flight time is 8:02 AM, not 8:32…This must be my flight.” Continue reading →

It’s all about…

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Hubby comes into the bedroom on January 1st morning and takes my hands that are trying to make the bed and twirls me to the music pumping from the living room stereo.

“I made one new year’s resolution for 2012! To dance with my baby more!”
I giggle. He’s always been the morning person in our marriage.
Then he says, “I made one for you too.” He has been awake for over an hour. He’s had time to think this over. I inhale the scents of fresh coffee and eggs.   Continue reading →

Zipping into 2012 with the letter “P”

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Give me a P! P! Give me and E! E! Give me an R.S.P.E.C.T.I.V.E.!
What does it spell?
PERSPECTIVE! Yes! Perspective!
Okay, I’ll hang up my pom-poms before I get thrown off the page. 
How often have you told a little kid, “Eat everything your plate. Don’t you know there are starving kids in Africa?” I heard these words when I was growing up. Now I say them to my kids. Why? Perspective.
What? You don’t want to help fold the laundry? Don’t you know that there are kids in India who own nothing more than the clothes on their back? Hello? Perspective.
What? You don’t have time to go here? Do this? Read that? Did you know that a mother in Rwanda spends six hours to walk to and return home with clean water? Daily. Six hours! Just to have water. Every single day. Perspective. Continue reading →

A Man and His Ocean

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[** Winner of Midlife Collage Writing Contest Monday, January 23,2012!]

He picks up his umbrella and his face winces as his hand struggles to turn the knob. The door always sticks after the rain. “Your umbrella is open.”“It’s fine.” I look closely as he ignores me and realize the snap strap is broken. He’s walking with an unravelled black umbrella, using it like a cane. Continue reading →

Window Of Opportunity

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Friday Night! Everything’s all right! We’re packed. Kids dropped off. We’re heading out of town! Going on a weekend long date with Prince Sunshine. 
 
I married the ultra Romeo, I must admit. He signed us up for a Marriage Enrichment Conference in Boston. And two very reliable friends generously agreed to watch the girls. Thanks Netflix and NickJr. Just kiddin’ Mom. Real people are taking care of our kids at this moment. You can put the cuffs away, Officer.  Continue reading →

Pink Boxing Gloves

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[Knowing many families have lost a loved one to Breast Cancer, I humbly share a snippet of my sister’s story. Even as I publish this post, I pray for a dear friend’s mother whose fight is not over. Each story is different. This is just one.]
October 2009
Looked down at my cell phone buzzing. My sister Sandi, A.K.A. Sippy,  calling me on her way home from work. Nothing unusual about that. She once said that I’m like her morning cup of coffee. Can’t live without it! So we talk every day. Pretty much. 
            
“I felt something under my left armpit a few days ago.” 

Clumsy yet loved…

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Half my sundae spills on to the couch in another failed attempt to multi-task! I quickly move the laptop and wires over to salvage as much of the chocolate and cool-whip I can back into my bowl…three second rule, right? God doesn’t want me to get fat, I rationalize—that’s why He made me clumsy!

Shortly before we left for our honeymoon to Alaska, my dad’s parting words to my husband of less than twenty-four hours were: “Please. And I mean PLEASE! Don’t stand too close to the railing on the ship. [He chuckled through the remainder of his words] Because I don’t want… Continue reading →

In Search of Waterfalls

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The first time we shared a waterfall was on a trip with the Young Adult Group from our church. Niagara Falls. How’s that for the start of a theme for your love-life?!! We were clearly “falling” for each other in the most magnificent way! I seemed to catch him gazing at me all the time, and maybe that was because… I tried to steal a glimpse of him in the group without making it so obvious that I was hopefully and deliriously into this young man that God had so strategically put into my life. Two days later, we “defined the relationship” with a very deep and profound conversation that went something like this:


Him: “Isn’t it kind of obvious that I like you…”
and I finished, “… and you like me!”

Ten years later… Continue reading →