Ex-Prisoners and Being With

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Recently I was afforded the privilege to hear two women who had spent fifteen and sixteen years behind bars. They are a part of my church community and were invited to tell their stories. I was immediately captivated as I opened my ears and heart to people that I don’t knowingly cross paths with in my everyday life. One woman is white and the other is black. They formed a deep friendship during their years in a place that for most of us holds a forgotten population.

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When Life is Interrupted

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On December 16, 2016, our youngest child broke her elbow. The details around this event were crazy and turned into a type of fire drill. You can read all about it here. 

As is often the case when an injury occurs, I had no idea how much time and effort would be required as she recovered. We are coming up on the six month post-break date, and these six months have been full of activities that were not planned. For the first four months, she visited an occupational therapist twice a week and did daily exercises 4-5 times per day. Her teachers were gracious and allowed her to leave the room during school to accomplish this.

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History Making, 18 Minutes from my Home

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I believe that I just witnessed history in the making. It lasted a little over two hours.

It's May - a fellow mom friend of mine labeled this month "Mayhem" - and all parents of children in school anywhere will understand what that means. Throw a rookie book launch into the mix, and my cup is abundantly overflowing.

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There are No Foreigners

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Last weekend, most of our family gathered in Chicago to celebrate the graduate school graduation of our oldest son. My husband Mark, our two daughters, and I boarded a plane in Raleigh and headed to O'Hare International Airport. We needed to do a little business regarding an upcoming international trip that we are taking, so we headed to Terminal 5 where travelers arrive from literally all over the world and first step foot into this country. It brought back memories of the days when our daughters arrived to this place as toddlers. The moment that we deplaned after a very long flight from China, they became American citizens. 

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