It is easy for us to include those who look like us. It is easy for us to help those who everyone around us values. Maybe it is harder for us to include those who are not included by friends, family, or popular Christian culture because it can feel lonely. Maybe it is accolades and attention. We need… Read More
I number these rather than providing actual times because it seems time itself has self-isolated during this bizarre time. 1. The night before prep: I stayed up late, fretting about various pandemic-related catastrophic scenarios. 2. Carried those worries through the night to assure I never hit REM. This level of worrying feels like how teachers have to operate, so it… Read More
Here is my dad’s seven-year chip from Alcoholics Anonymous. The day after Christmas, seven years ago, he entered a three-month rehab program for professionals in Williamsburg, Virginia. He was a functioning alcoholic. He had been able to serve two terms as mayor of a city in Virginia and was (and continues to be) a revered physician. But make no mistake…. Read More
I wrote this several years ago after delving into craftiness to make Nora’s birthday party “perfect.” I never delved again. After this, I happily handed over the money to purchase an overpriced bounce house package where a teenager, with more patience than myself, led all birthday parties from then on. God bless inflatables. Enjoy. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ As all things do, it… Read More
My heartbeat has increased in the last few days. My breathing feels tight. Thanksgiving Day flowed straight into Christmas prep. Perfection’s strong undertow is pulling at my head suddenly: perfect plans, perfect gifts, perfect house, perfect calendar. The priorities of this world cultivate this brand of anxiety. The celebration of Christ’s birth is becoming an increasingly overwhelming season of pressure—and… Read More
Did you see this episode of This Is Us? Randall is putting into words what he has been sensing regarding his race and role in society. He has a function that feels and looks vastly different than that of his white siblings and parents’ roles. Jack is assuring his son, Randall, that when he looks at Randall, he does not… Read More