The first time I took Annabell to the beach, she was a toddler. We stood in the foamy shallows of the surf, my hands swallowing her chubby wrists. As waves tumbled toward us, her body was a coiled spring, taut with mingled terror and delight. I hoisted her airborne, her little feet swinging high over the water. She squealed and giggled, all… View Post
A few years ago, around the time we decided to adopt, I started getting restless. I don’t know why or how, but life had begun to feel like a pair of ill-fitting pants. Our adoption progressed, we traveled to Rwanda, and the feeling intensified. In the years that followed, it overtook everything. I walked around with this disorienting sense of… View Post
I’m usually “done” with winter by January 1, and this year is no exception. I miss the sun’s warmth on my bare arms, the scent of earth and vegetation, the freedom to walk out the door without first layering against the cold. But it snowed yesterday, and even through a New England childhood I can’t recall beauty like this. Flakes… View Post
Some things are easy to pick up long after you’ve put them down. Riding a bike. Playing chopsticks. Doing the doggie paddle. Unfortunately, muscle memory doesn’t extend to blogging. After two months away from my online home, coming back feels like starting over. I keep looking around, bewildered, trying to figure out what I’m doing here, and why. On second… View Post
The blog has been silent this month because October is ridiculous, and because I say yes to All The Things. My inability (or refusal) to learn from this repeated mistake borders on insanity. Or stupidity. I’m not sure which is worse. Thank the merciful Lord for inventing Fall Break, and putting it into my addled brain to plan a camping… View Post