The awe of a new place, that’s prayer. Wonder-drenched wanderings, prayer too. Shaking off fretfulness to focus on just this one particular, precious moment: prayer. Laughter that shakes loose something long forgotten, a lightness of being, a freedom; that is also prayer. Standing in the presence of art, anything that you decide is art (there... Continue Reading →
I’ve forgotten how to shake hands. Which one? Left? Right? Something that used to be commonplace–I prided myself on the integrity of my handshake–feels alien. And, well, germy. I’ve also misplaced my ability to appear interested in a conversation I don’t care about. Make no mistake: I care about many, many things. Solidly on my... Continue Reading →
I had an appointment at the oral surgeon on Monday. This is notable because I hate everything that has to do with dentistry. And when the conversation shifts to using lasers in my mouth for a “procedure,” well I suppose you can understand how that could make me a smidge anxious. So, like the good... Continue Reading →
I didn’t like group projects when I was in school. This is a surprise to exactly no one who knows me. I’m happy to be around a group of people. But working with people? Collaboratively? No, thank you. I can do this on my own. But owning a small business has disabused me of many... Continue Reading →
We were idling in the Starbucks line in a nearby Atlanta suburb, suspended in a pre-caffeination afternoon languor. The suburbs hold a tinge of the exotic now, like we’re somehow stealing away from our normal lives, hiding out in plain sight, ordering lattes in a drive-thru. Suburban life is a collision of the foreign and... Continue Reading →
My birthday is coming up, which means I’m simply reeling with possibility. Not about the celebration. I used to care a lot what folks did to mark my birthday. Now I just care about cake of some sort. And my family being there, of course. With cake. (Is it even a birthday if there is... Continue Reading →
Every morning of my late twenties dawned with sickening dread. Every morning. I’d wake up and immediately begin the slow slide into the murky depths of shame. And fear. And regret. Anxiety gripped me like a vise, making it hard to breathe. I hated myself, pitied myself, held dear a storied mythology of myself. What... Continue Reading →
I didn’t understand what love would be like. Not love for grown-folks. How could I really? Love isn’t something you can understand until you are in the thick of it. And then sometimes it’s hard to parse out exactly what you should be doing, when and how you should draw lines, chart new directions, rely... Continue Reading →
I struggle with the concept of rest. Not like I don’t believe in it. And I’m not one of those all-the-glory-is-found-in-the-hustle folks.. But I can’t get comfortable with the idea of just being. And it’s to my detriment. If I am not creating, thinking, planning, or actively doing something that qualifies as “productive,” I get... Continue Reading →
Mornings are a barrage of talking, negotiating, finding lost objects, and hurrying the sixth grader out the door. How getting her to the bus stop on time requires rushing in any way, I have yet to puzzle out. She gets up at 6:45am. The bus arrives at 8:45am. Should she be able to fashion her... Continue Reading →
