Motherhood

A Blessing for the Mothers of Tween Girls

Blessed are the mothers of tween girls–the ones who’ve outgrown mermaids, Barbies, and princessesbut aren’t ready for dating, driving, cell phones, and string bikinis.Blessed are you, the mama bears and the helicopter momsthe confident moms and the unsure moms.May you find respite from the whiplashwhen it seems your girl has gone from nursery rhymes to The Life of a Showgirl in the blink of an eye,and those paper-thin nails you … Continue reading A Blessing for the Mothers of Tween Girls

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Holidays, Marriage

Love is

Love is a whisper: “I’ll get the baby this time,”the whir of the electric mixer, creaming butter and sugar–the start of a birthday cake,the roar of the carpet cleaner after the dog vomits in the corner (again).Love is freshly cut grass,traces of bleach that linger in the bathroom.Love is, “I think you should get that mole checked,”counting silver threads of hair,a FaceTime call with a … Continue reading Love is

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A decorated Christmas tree with white lights and a star on top sits in a dim room with windows in the background.
Holidays

A Tree Full of Stories

Crash, crash, crash! Two weeks before Christmas, my son shatters an ornament with three jabs of a mini hockey stick. I spend the afternoon combing through the carpet for shards of glass and vacuuming until a satisfying array of lines replaces the mess. The hand-painted ornament was a favorite—a souvenir from the San Diego Zoo—and each year when we placed it on the tree, I … Continue reading A Tree Full of Stories

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Holidays

I Love…Christmas Edition

I love white twinkle lights on palm trees.⠀I love a mailbox full of Christmas cards.⠀I love baristas and cashiers decked out in ugly sweaters and reindeer headbands with jingle bells.I love fancy gingerbread houses.⠀I love homemade ornaments made with handprints and pipe cleaners and gobs of paint (but not glitter…just…no).I love baking cookies with little chefs in tiny aprons.I love angels flapping awkwardly in live … Continue reading I Love…Christmas Edition

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Writing

Where I’ve Written

On my bed, sitting criss-cross-applesauce during nap time, notebooks and pens scattered across the bedspread.On the couch after the kids go to bed, tapping away on the keyboard past midnight.In an apartment in Japan, making sense of life with two littles.At the kitchen table, trying to ignore the crumbs and sticky spots left behind after dinner.At a desk with Yo-Yo Ma in my earbuds.In a … Continue reading Where I’ve Written

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Kids

A Blessing for The New Kids​​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​​For the ones who don’t know…​​​​​​​​
where the bathroom is​​​​​​​​
how to purchase school lunch​​​​​​​​
the principal’s name​​​​​​​​
where the bus stop is​​​​​​​​
their new addresses​​​​​​​​
which state they live in.​​​​​​​​ Continue reading A Blessing for The New Kids​​​​​​​​

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Poetry

Sometimes when I pray

my hands grip each other tightly, fingers interlocked, thumbs folded over each other. Sometimes my hands are clasped, a hollow space between them, at the ready like a cheer captain. Sometimes my hands stand tall and flat, pressed together, swishing back and forth like a fish’s tail, resting against my bowed forehead. But sometimes when I pray, my hands wipe tears, smooth hair out of eyes, deliver a meal to someone’s doorstep. Sometimes my hands slam … Continue reading Sometimes when I pray

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