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writing

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Grief and Loss

In response to questions about my writing

The question I get asked most often these days is are you writing anything? My usual response is: I write nearly every day in my journal and I’ve completed several articles for a client. But when it comes to blog posts, I’ve been, well, stuck. I wouldn’t call it writer’s block. New ideas for posts come to mind regularly. I write them in my head and jot them down in my book of ideas. I just can’t sit myself down to flesh them out. And when I do work on stories, I can’t seem to finish them. Emotional overload To be fair to myself, I have carried a heavy load for a very long time. Transitioning my dad to a retirement home last fall and selling his belongings and house this summer was way more stressful than I’d anticipated. As spring came into bloom this year, my mourning for Paul…

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Everyday Life

Design Mom published my story!

lamp on table

I am so excited about this event that I had to share it with you all as soon as I could. I’ve been reading the blog Design Mom for a couple of years now. It’s packed with great information for women who are raising young children and who appreciate design. I love how Gabrielle Blair

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Relationships

My friendship with Mildred Behn

My friend, Mildred, died on August 20 at the age of 102. I’ve written about her before here, albeit clandestinely. I was asked to speak at her memorial service last Friday to offer a reflection on my relationship with her. Here’s what I wrote: I know that many of you could stand up here and talk about the ways Mildred touched your life. She had the amazing ability to make every person she knew feel as though they were special to her, a favorite among the many people she graciously invited into her world. It is for that reason, I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to share my thoughts on the remarkable friendship I shared with Mildred Behn. I met her for the first time at a meeting we both attended here at the church with our mutual friend, Steve Nickles. Afterward she came up to me and boldly said, “We…

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Everyday Life

Why I Write

I’m beginning to define and explore the difficult question of why I write and why I want to become a better writer. Here are some of my initial and incomplete thoughts: Writing is my response to God’s direction. God keeps telling me to write. I know that sounds pretty mystical, or overly religious or downright arrogant. I mean, if God said it, who’s to argue the point, right? But it’s true in the sense that, despite trying a number of different degree programs and work roles, I have always sensed God’s finger pointing me back to writing. I think it’s safe to say I feel compelled to write, as in, if God gave me the ability, provided the training and gave me the tools to write well, then I should write. Writing is the fruit of my spiritual life. In high school, much of my writing was focused on searching for…

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