Locked In to the New

I recently finished a book by singer-songwriter Andrew Peterson that caused me to laugh out loud when he talked about his experience playing at a youth group lock-in, saying lock-ins essentially are everything that is wrong with the world. Why did this make me laugh?...

All Things New, Until They’re Familiar

Sometimes, I forget. I forget that new things can feel overwhelming to the autistic or neurodivergent brain. I forget that my girls are experiencing something new because, well, it’s not new to me. Fortunately, my teenagers have gotten pretty good at communicating...

 Who I Am

I got together with a friend for dinner this evening and as we were saying our goodbyes, she said something profound, something that resonated deeply with me. She said, I’m so glad I’m a mom. I don’t know who I’d be if I weren’t. Being a parent has shaped who I am....

Courage Abounds Even When We Can’t See It

I think the hardest thing for us to see in ourselves is our courage. Not only are we hard pressed to recognize any sense of bravery in ourselves, but we also find it difficult to believe any words about our fearlessness from others, whether friend or parent or...

 Oh the Irony of Flexibility & Life

Oh the irony of life. Here’s what I’m talking about—as I have gotten older I have become less flexible, mainly, of course, in my body, my joints popping more and my ability to sit on the floor for any length of time pretty much gone with the lower numbers of my age....