His Mom

One of my first prayers, when news breaks of a mass shooting, is for the family of the alleged shooter. It is grievously hard to lose a loved one, beyond horrible to lose a loved one to violence, but to be the mom of the one who caused the terror—there are no words....

How Do You Know?

“How do you know you love me?” Unblinking brown eyes framed with long lashes stared up at me. “Mommy, how do you know?” My children are grown and perhaps the question today would be: How do they know I love them? Consider how your adult...

The Pattern Search

I decided to write a book. Notebook ready, freshly sharpened pencils at hand, I stared at the blank page. How to start? Kneeling before the bookcase, I pulled out a stack of my favorite novels. Book one started with a description of the weather. Book two started with...

Marie Kondo

True confessions. In a world of hate/love for Marie Kondo’s organizational methods, her teachings intrigue me.  Although I do not thank my clothes for their service and my book collection would cause her to run from the room screaming, I enjoy her show, read her...

Memory Keepers

My beloved North Carolina has been in the news too many times these last weeks because of hurricane Florence. One article documented what people took with them when they fled their homes: pets, photo albums, letters, clothes, and jewelry. One person took their...