As an adoptee, I’ve spent many an hour wondering about nature versus nurture. What traits have I inherited? What have I learned from my environment? What makes me who I am? In other words, who do I have to thank—or blame —for me?
These questions became even more poignant as...
If 2020 has taught me one thing, it is that I must have deep tear ducts. I have cried more in the past four months than I ever dreamed possible. I cried when we cancelled Joey’s birthday party, when schools closed for the remainder of the year, when I couldn’t visit my dad in the...
If I’m being honest, last week was a bit of a roller coaster here. Some great moments, and some rather tear-filled ones. I’m still feeling a little whiplashed.
And, you know, that’s life. Ups and downs. Good days and hard days. This too shall pass. We know all of this, but when...
A few years ago, I thought it would be a good idea to teach my kids the Westminster shorter catechism. And it would have been a good idea, actually, but my enthusiasm fizzled out quickly. (In case you were under the delusion that I have it all together as a parent, rest assured. I...
In life, we expect to have certain defining moments, but we think we know what they will be: a graduation, a first job, a wedding day, a new baby. But what happens when a new “milestone” pops up and changes the trajectory you thought you had?
In the months after Joey’s Down...
The day Joey was diagnosed with Down syndrome, we left the geneticist’s office with a book called Babies with Down Syndrome: A New Parents’ Guide. In the introduction, the editor encourages the parent carrying the weight of the heavy burden to take lots of pictures of their...
“I have to admit, Lord, I don’t really understand what You are doing here.”
I walked around my neighborhood, praying as I took in some fresh air. Praying for my husband, my children, some dear friends… and I realized I had been praying some of these same prayers over and...
As my head hit the pillow, my brain sprang into action. Worries I had kept in the back of my mind all day suddenly vied for my attention: What if my dad catches COVID-19 while he’s in the hospital for his cancer surgery? How am I going to homeschool three kids? When will I ever find...
I couldn’t sleep, I wasn’t eating. A knot twisted my stomach. I couldn’t focus on tasks that required more brain power than folding laundry. I was utterly consumed.
What was wrong? you ask. What hardship were you suffering that so consumed you?
Absolutely nothing.
My...
Almost a decade ago, I sat at dinner with a friend and wept. Postpartum depression wouldn’t relent, my husband’s business was keeping him busy far beyond the “normal” 40-hour work week, and my infant son had just been diagnosed with Down syndrome. I was struggling but...
