Recently, Ella asked me what kinds of things I got for Christmas when I was little. I thought for a moment, trying to remember details of childhood Christmas mornings. Reflecting on cozy family times, I realized I don’t recall what was inside most of those wrapped...
There’s a parable I once heard about three fish. It goes something like this: There are two young fish happily swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way. The older fish says, “Hello! How is the water today?” The two...
It’s not quite the darkest day of the year, but you could have fooled me. As I drove the girls to school, the sky was dark and cold and silent. A hazy fog swirled in front of the windshield. As I followed the familiar path, I knew...
Sometimes pastry crusts will collapse despite your best and most careful efforts. This was the frustrating realization I had last week when I was trying to prepare some mini apple pies for Thanksgiving. I had attempted to partially bake the crusts, as the recipe directed,...
One of our favorite restaurants in Phoenix is next to a sweet shop the chef also owns. The sweet shop is charming, with bins of old-fashioned candies, a glass case full of fresh baked goods and homemade ice cream made with local cream. A chalkboard behind...
Nine people showed up for the free ukulele class. There were four kids and five adults – zero who knew the first thing about a ukulele. The instructor gave us each a ukulele appropriate for our size, showed us how to position the instrument in...
Three teenage girls, wearing matching plaid skirts and white shirts – the uniform of a nearby school – were standing in the candle section at Target. Carefully, they were taking the lids off glass candle jars to smell the seasonal scents. The candles that were...
Those lucky enough to be shopping near the frozen food section at Costco last Saturday stumbled upon the greatest sample station of all time – snack size chocolates. Individually wrapped bars were arranged on a tray for those passing by to try. The line of people...
"Become who you are. Become all that you are. There is still more of you – more to be discovered, forgiven, and loved." – Carl Jung The Halloween costume website was open on my phone. Emma was sitting next to me and we were making our...
Last week, while in a bustling hotel lobby, a little girl grabbed hold of my hand. She was focused on trying not to step on the lines between the large, glossy tiles on the floor and slipped her hand into mine without looking up. Assuming, I...