Both/And…keeping it real

We can do hard things. Acknowledging both the good and hard in everyday life.

  • October 16 or “someday.”

    Have you ever had a someday? What I mean is, have you ever said to yourself, “someday, I will be ready for that role. Someday, I will pursue that dream or be prepared enough to take on that challenge. Someday, my _______ will be right, and then I will be happy. Someday, when I meet______…

  • Washington in the the moonlight…and still more ways God saturates.

    Washington trip highlights (Part 3) It is pure joy to remember our trip and put the many thoughts and connections from my heart into this format. It is one of my favorite ways of making meaning. Have you heard that phrase before, making meaning? (Meaning making” designates the process by which people interpret situations, events, objects,…

  • Saturated (part 2)

    After we left Pittsburgh, our travels took us through the rest Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and finally into Washington DC. Our youngest daughter, who has always struggled with motion sickness, forgot about her worried tummy as we took in the scenery. This was not a trip we’d ever taken as a family, so the colors, the…

  • Startle reflex, PSA’s and awareness.

    “Jeez, Stacy, you are uptight!” “Nervous much?” Laughter ensued from my friends. I was thankful that the movie theater we sat in was dark and they could not see my quickly heated, tomato red cheeks. Even though I knew in THEIR minds, this was “just teasing,” I HATED how my body was “tense and jumpy”…

  • Saturated…(part 1)

    Though we had been planning for well over a year, our recent vacation to Washington DC snuck up on us because, well, September is September. Maybe it’s just me, but September seems to be right up there with May and December, the two busiest months of the year, at least in our house: purchasing school…

  • A quick, post-vacation note…

    Hey there! It’s been a minute, hasn’t it? I had intentions to post while on vacation with my family last week, but we were so busy seeing and being together that I just decided to let it wait until we got home. But, I have so many things to tell you about, so many ideas…

  • “Thank you for giving me my life.”

    When I met her, I noticed first that she had a brand-new beautiful baby. She expertly carried the car seat on one arm and I was jealous of how at ease she was. Our eyes met, across a couple rows at church and I rose to introduce myself. That Sunday and many following, I couldn’t…

  • Who are you, great mountain…that you should not bow low?

    I climbed the steep, wooden stairs, trying hard not to think about slowing down those behind me. I looked at the worn wood stairs, instructing my steps one at a time: step up, then again, then again. Some of the planks of wood were worn in spots to the point of seeing the path so…

  • What do princess markers, Rubik’s Cube and Banana Nut Muffins have to do with Lament?

    I wanted to take a moment and say a genuine thank you. I have been posting now for about 4 months and it has become a favorite part of my week. I really enjoy WORDS. I love the process of conveying my thoughts, experiences and how they all fit together with my many life roles.…

  • Redefining what it means to be Badass.

    I wonder if you’ve ever watched an event, a TV show, or a person when something about a particular feat that resonates within you. Somewhere deep inside you find yourself thinking, “that is simply, __________.” You can fill in your own blank. I realize that for some, the word badass may not be the first…