There seem to be two common responses to the pandemic: extreme anxiety and fear as evidenced by the hoarding of groceries and the national shortage of toilet paper, and extreme distraction as evidenced by the increase in binge watching, eating and drinking, and whole-house cleaning. Amidst shared feelings of anxiety and extra trips to the …
Continue...What’s in your child’s lunchbox? According to The Wall Street Journal, when the lunch bell rings, some kids are pulling out designer multi-compartment Bento-boxes stuffed full of colorful, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, nut free fare, artfully arranged and immortalized by moms on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. That’s nothing like what I carried to school …
Continue...Recently I had a perfect opportunity and the justification for being a helicopter mom. Soon after our 15-year-old daughter started her first job as a piano accompanist, it was evident she’d been mismatched with a student beyond her skill level. I considered calling her boss to try and prevent her from losing the job she’d …
Continue...“You’ll need proof. Can you get a copy of the death certificate?” I remember the awkwardness of trying to answer that question while booking last-minute plane tickets to North Carolina for my father-in-law’s funeral. Who would fake their dad’s death just to get a discount—and not a very good one at that—on airfare? A misunderstanding …
Continue...I’ll never forget the way it hit me — news about our children, delivered from the pulpit of a crowded chapel service. The preacher, Randy Stinson, said, “Can I say something to you about your children? I don’t even know half of them, but they’re average. They’re average.” I suspect I wasn’t the only one …
Continue...I remember noticing her frantically walking through our yard looking for something—or someone. Opening the front door, I went to her, eager to help. “Did you lose someone?” I asked. She looked about my age, and I was worried maybe she was missing her child. “Yes! Have you seen her? Normally she’s not gone this …
Continue...Dear Pregnant at Harvard, I cried when I read your story in The Crimson. I wish I knew your name. I wish I had a way to reach out beyond this letter. I’m so sorry no one noticed when things were terribly wrong. I wish I could invite you over to listen to your anguish …
Continue...During our wedding, Steve’s dad Jim encouraged us to be open to having babies. As the pastor who performed our ceremony, he was also a grandpa who knew the joys of being in the lives of his grandchildren. “Children need grandparents who can get down on the floor to play with them,” he said, “and still …
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