To celebrate my birthday last week, I gave myself an entire day of permission. I gave myself permission to do whatever pleases me, and to refuse anything that does not. This means I spent the better part of my birthday ignoring the dishes calling me from the sink and the silent washing machine begging to be put to use. Their…
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What’s Saving Me Today: Poetry
When my sister-in-law was in high school she had a boyfriend who shaved his head regularly and wore ill-fitting, dark clothing. He was a Calvinist, which led to much consternation on the part of my mother-in-law, and much sharpening of arguments on the part of my soon-to-be husband. He was also a teenaged poet. He read us a few poems…
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Bitter Turned Sweet: A Reflection on Lent
I eat sweets. A lot. Sometimes, I skip a meal and fill in the blank with cookies or a slice of cake. I believe pancakes and waffles and bananas are simply a vehicle for the main event: a generous helping of chocolate chips. I eat a little something sweet to the taste after every meal. There is no scenario in…
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The Double-edged Sword of Expectations
Now that I have quit my job, I find myself at loose ends. I wake up in the morning, and there is nothing before me except an endless list of household chores and errands on repeat. Often, there is school work–reading and writing–but school isn’t a forty hour a week affair. There’s more than enough time to get the laundry…
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For the One Who Isn’t Wonder Woman and Never Will Be
In my twenties, I attended a company Holiday party hosted by my husband’s then-employer. It was held in a dimly lit ballroom with a dance floor and wandering balloon artists creating phallic symbols to be worn as hats. I was nervous about meeting his colleagues for the first time because of my small-talk allergy, so I tried to make myself…
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