Southern women have a reputation. We bring food. Funeral? Food. Wedding? Food. Sickness? Food. Hangnail? Fire? Flood? Stubbed toe? Food. We have been accused of being disingenuous. Hypocritical. Pretentious. But here’s the thing, we keep on bringing food. We were taught how to do this by our mothers and their mothers. Being hospitable is an … Continue reading Southern Women
Family
To the Moon
Maybe my love of the moon started when I was 5 years old. July 16th, 1969 I watched the rocket blast into the sky. Then, on July 20thour parents put us to bed in the den, on the sleeper sofa. At 10:56 pm they woke us up to watch Neil Armstrong step onto the surface … Continue reading To the Moon
Happy Birthday, Mom
Hi Mom, It’s your birthday. I don’t know how that works in heaven now that you live in a place that is timeless. Do you even know that today was a special date? My guess is that you are blissfully unaware of aging. What a gift! I have to tell you though, I think of … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Mom
Letting the Light In
I have been doing some updates around the house. We’ve been here 26 years; it is time. By letting the light in, I am feeling life again. Opening the blinds in the morning lifts my spirits. Natural light floods all the spaces and the darkness flees. For the past year, gloom has kept the windows … Continue reading Letting the Light In
Bill’s Alive Day
This year Bill’s Alive Day hits a bit differently. I am still in a grief-filled space. The trauma of the past couple of years is fresh. It seems to be pulling a scab off the old TBI trauma. All of the events are running together, dredged up in my mind and heart. We celebrate this … Continue reading Bill’s Alive Day
The Door to the Secret Place
I don’t know what to say. Still. You would think this writer’s block would have passed by now. But my words are still catching somewhere between my brain and my fingers. Usually my feelings flow freely onto the page. It is my way to process. Maybe it’s because there is so much to process lately … Continue reading The Door to the Secret Place
Unglued
When I was a little girl we used to go to my Uncle Iman and Aunt Polly’s house on Christmas Eve. It was a whole family affair with lots of people I didn’t know. I only knew I got presents from all of them. I remember a bowl of nuts with a nutcracker, my uncle’s … Continue reading Unglued
Advent ~ Week 4 ~Love
The fourth candle. A light in the darkness. Whatever the darkness is in this season. For me loss. For others anxiety. Or fear. Or heaviness. The love candle is lit in the midst of it all to remind us that love wins. It always wins, even when I cannot see it. “Let there be light.” … Continue reading Advent ~ Week 4 ~Love
Advent ~ Week 3 ~ Joy
A word for all who mourn this holiday season. For those who long for joy to break through the sorrow. For those who know the joy of the Lord even when they don't feel it. Weep, Beloved. Tears release the pressure. As they run down your cheeks, the pain is leaking out. Falling away. I … Continue reading Advent ~ Week 3 ~ Joy
Recovery
I have had a few major surgeries in my life where they took significant body parts out of me. I had to learn to pay attention to my body in ways I had never considered before. Mainly, because my body couldn’t do what it used to right away. This involved relearning how to move, when … Continue reading Recovery
Michelle's Mosaic 