Columns

A Unique Perspective on a Season

Before having children, my definition of a season of life did not contain color. Everything appeared black and white. If there was a medical issue, it lasted for a little while and soon passed. Nothing remained for long. The most significant medical problem I faced was when I broke my…

December Is the Time to Take Inventory

Many people see spring as the season for cleaning. Winter months call for homes to be closed tightly to keep the heat in and the winter chill out. Spring allows for the opening of windows to clean the soot and grime that accumulates over the colder season. I normally do…

Today I Choose Thankfulness

People are suffering. The country is divided. States are imposing limits on items that may be purchased, and businesses are closed. If there were ever a year to skip Thanksgiving, this would be it. At least, that is what some people think, but I am not one of them.

Living One Day at a Time

Lately I’ve been feeling stuck. My life seems to have taken on the appearance of an infinite to-do list. The moment I tick off a box, three more appear. Every day, I am literally out of breath running errand after errand, with the ultimate goal of somehow staying afloat. Bills…

‘Tis the Season for Conquering Soup

Long a food literature devotee, I continually marvel at the seeming effortlessness with which authors, home chefs, and Michelin triple stars approach the kitchen. Their sense of matter-of-fact wonder at gathering simple or impossible-to-find (except in a French market) ingredients simultaneously fills me with awe and consternation. How did these…

Maintaining Gratitude Through a Spirit of Thanks-living

Let’s face it. This year contains one struggle after another. We continue to ask the same questions: “How do we beat this virus? Will I continue to be insured during layoffs? How will I afford quality care for my loved one in the middle of political, medical, and economic turmoil?”…

We Are Designed for Turmoil

Exhaustion, stress, loneliness, and boredom are a few symptoms of living in our current world. Some people easily adapt to new ways of moving in the world, and others have a more difficult time. What is amazing is how the rare disease/disorder community seems to move forward without skipping a…

When Broken Souls Heal Together

When my husband, Jared, and I were dating, many of our friends thought we had the perfect relationship. We were snuggly best buddies, intimate and passionate lovers, and mentors to each other. It was a bond I could only describe as spiritual and otherworldly. I had never met anyone who…

Life Lessons in the MacDonald Home

We all live according to life lessons. Not every way by which we govern our lives proves useful or affirming, but the lessons still unknowingly exist. My goal is to identify the negative patterns that I relate to the world and change them so that my actions match my desired…