By Karen Swank Some days, it’s hard to get out of bed. My parents are two of the hardest working people I have ever met anywhere, anytime. I grew up in a household of purpose and intention, and “slacking” was something that simply could not be considered. Sleeping in was reserved mostly for when we … Continue reading Hard to Get Out of Bed
By Karen Swank I am at my dreaded Annual Female Visit, talking to the nicest doctor I’ve ever known. His voice is gentle and his smile is real, and he is not in a hurry at all. He talks to me like one ordinary person to another, somehow making it all okay. What you have … Continue reading Life with Benefits
By Zihna Edwards In my kitchen, there lives a coffee cup that a friend gave me in college. Theres a crack running the side from one move or another, and it is unsuitable for drinking. But drink I do: gulps of great memories, sips of shared sorrows, and the aroma of a rich-roasted friendship. I … Continue reading Lent: A time of letting go and making room
By Karen Swank Heath Ledger died this week. Though he played a number of roles, hearing his name always makes me think first of “Ten Things I Hate About You.” It’s one of my daughter Julia’s favorite movies, and we’ve enjoyed it together many times. He had amazing hair and played a bad boy with … Continue reading God Hates Fags and Heath Ledger’s Death
By Karen Swank Good morning, Lord. I roll over under the covers, realizing once again that it’s 4:30 and You have faithfully arranged our time once again. Our time. Oh, I know You are with me always…I feel Your presence more and more as time goes by, even in the most mundane of places. But … Continue reading Gift from the Secret Place
By Karen Swank Twice in the last few months, teenage friends of mine have identified me as being in the midst of my midlife crisis. It caught me off-guard both times; although I smilingly refer to myself as “old” when talking to kids, there was only one passage of my life when I felt old … Continue reading Welcome to My Midlife Crisis
By Karen Swank I didn’t get a flu shot this year, for the first time in years. Oh, I meant to get one. I know some people who don’t get the shot because it makes them feel puny for a few days. For the many years that I lived without health insurance or sick pay … Continue reading Learning to Rest: The last lesson of 2007
By Sammi Deem Ever since I can remember I have been trained to look in the mirror and hate what I see. The media, culture, society in general told me that how I looked was unacceptable, negative, and, well, not pretty. I felt like trash. I felt like Gods big mistake. I was worthless. Typical … Continue reading Wrecked by the Ordinary: A struggle for self-worth
By Aaron Bruner Every now and then I think of what it would be like to be at war. I imagine myself running through forest and brush, carrying a guy on my shoulder to safety. Yelling and screaming, bullets whizzing by my head. I guess it’s the macho side of guys that makes us want … Continue reading New Kind of Soldier
By Melissa Sandel This was written and submitted to us before Christmas, but we still wanted to share it with you a day after, because we thought the challenge was still relevant for the new year. We hope that it stirs something in you for this upcoming year. At Christmas time, I feel a lot … Continue reading A Different Kind of Gift-Giving