One morning she boiled molasses and sugar together until they made a thick syrup, and Pa brought in two pans of clean, white snow from outdoors. Laura and Mary each had a pan, and Pa and Ma showed them how to pour the dark syrup in little streams on to the snow. They made circles, […]
If I Stop Writing
“What else do you do?” As a mother, I get the question often, and I always have an answer, “Well, I write. I’m working on some books; I have a blog.” And I feel good about myself for being able to say this. In fact, I would feel quite insecure if I couldn’t say it. […]
In Sickness
People seem to assume that marriage causes suffering. But that is too simplistic. Marriage does not cause suffering; life causes suffering. What makes married people unique is that, by vowing to be one in all things, they inevitably vow to be one in their suffering. This means they can’t run from suffering. They must endure […]
My Birthday
Today is my birthday. When I was little, this was easy to say. I would tell strangers it was my birthday. I felt like everyone in the world should know it was my birthday! My mom and I would plan my parties months in advance and I had no shame about the amount of thought […]
Living From Home
There’s a whole lot of debate out there about “working moms” and “stay-at-home moms” and about which of the two is better for children. In theory, “stay-at-home moms” should have more time for their children. But it gets complicated if a mother spends that time irritated, stressed, lonely or […]
When Christmas Goes Away
Every January I go through a mini depression as Christmas comes to an end. I try to make it fun and positive. I try to find things to divert my attention away from the lack-of-Christmas. This year we have a baby coming in eleven weeks so I have much of that practical preparation to look forward to. My […]
