“ “Hey babe. How about a date night? We can make a nice meal. Light some candles. A minor lung procedure?” What? Who SAYS that? Who says that? My husband, Dan, said that. He had a “PleurX Drain,” placed in his lungs to help alleviate the fluid caused by cancer as he lived out his final months at home. Yup. That was a date night. Me, a nursing school drop out, placing a drain in… … Continue reading
I have found one of the greatest lessons, and most difficult things required as a parent, is this: LETTING GO. If you think about it, the process of letting go begins at birth. The baby is born. She’s been really close to you for nine months. Really close. And what is the first thing that happens? They whisk her away. Your eyes follow the baby closely, looking desperately toward the table where the nurse took… … Continue reading
Three senseless acts of violence in our country in one week. Dayton, Ohio…El Paso, Texas…Gilroy, California. At least 34 lives lost. We can’t make sense of senselessness except to say it’s a product of evil, of the brokenness of this world in which we live. When my husband, Dan, was very sick, toward the end of a four year battle with lung cancer, he chose some verses from the Bible as our family verses. Lung… … Continue reading
Which WAY-FM on-air team won the competition??? It’s the FINAL game in our WAY-FM Summer SHOWdown…the wheelbarrow minefield. Watch the video, and look below for instructions on bringing this summer fun to your backyard! Here’s how you can play at home: 1. Choose a partner to be your wheelbarrow, a strong one like Kelly did, to make their way through the minefield. The wheelbarrow partner is blindfolded. 2. Make your way down the messy minefield,… … Continue reading
Yesterday was my husband’s birthday. I lost him to a rare form of lung cancer four years ago, a mutation that typically affects younger guys who don’t smoke. I’ve learned it’s important to have a plan for days like his birthday. It caught me off guard the first year. I’d expect Valentines Day to be difficult. Or, our anniversary. But his birthday…I had never felt so empty as the day I couldn’t bake a cake… … Continue reading
Well meaning people say the funniest things sometimes. I’ve experienced some loss. My Mom passed away when I was in my early 20s, my husband and father of my children died a few years ago, and my Dad a few months after that. My kids and I thought we’d move across the country for a fresh start last year, only to land in a new place with the same old problem: pain. We all get to… … Continue reading
Happy Father’s Day. I don’t envy the role of Dads who are trying to lead their families well in this culture. Their impact is HUGE. And, it’s a challenging time in which to lead a family. Research has shown us over and over that Dads impact their daughter’s choice in a spouse, and — this is where it gets really heavy — how each of their children perceive GOD. No pressure. “A woman’s early relationship… … Continue reading
I used to think I couldn’t let my kids know just how imperfect I am. A parenting mistake would lead me to ponder my value as a mom. They know we aren’t perfect. In fact, I’m thankful my kids have learned from some of my mistakes, so they hopefully don’t have to make them too. I sat down with my daughter, Mary, who is 23 now, to talk about life, parenting, to give her a… … Continue reading
“Wherever you go, there you are.” That’s a funny thing my mom used to say. Only funny because she had no idea that the intended meaning of the phrase she used to encourage me actually meant something entirely different. She said this to me when I was leaving grade school for middle school. Or, as we called it, “junior high.” Who calls it junior high? She must be old. I was freaking… … Continue reading
They are calling it the “biggest sports comeback of all time.” Tiger Woods won his fifth Masters by one stroke. It was his 15th major title, his first in almost 11 years. It’s being called the greatest sports comeback ever. But I beg to differ. OK, OK. I’m no sports fanatic. No expert for sure. This is a golf thing, right? But I think this is way more than a sports comeback. If you are… … Continue reading
