Trying to Learn, Seeking to Love? Start Small. Always.
A mosquito lands on my leg, and I swat it away. I'm in our front yard, pulling weeds with my husband, Jonathan, and trying to understand my own confusion. It's the perfect time of day to be outside, just before the sun sets in our small town in Alabama. As I pull out the roots, I'm thinking about the conversation I just had with my mom and my brother Willie. I'm thinking about how, for all the knowledge we as humans have gained, there are still so many things we don't know. For example, we don't know precisely why one...
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On Caregiving and Paradox: Growing Up to Be a Kid Again
"When I grow up, I want to be ... a kid again!" So proclaimed a t-shirt of a friend (and Vassar College housemate) of mine. I remembered it recently because of what I've been learning: that being a real grown-up means embracing the part of oneself that is -- and always will be -- a child. Over the last two weeks, my husband and I have been on an extended 'moving tour'. We relocated from DC to Alabama, but instead of settling into our new (old) house right away, we dropped off our furniture and continued on. Moving had its...
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What You’re Going Through Is What You Have to Give: Confessions from a (Reluctant) Reframer
It's confession time. Confession #1: I've spent the last twenty minutes checking Facebook and Twitter, in a last-ditch attempt to procrastinate writing this post. Confession #2: This our ninety-sixth (96th!) post here at A Wish Come Clear. You'd think I'd be over feeling insecure about sharing my life stories in this way, but no. Vulnerability packs a punch. Every. Single. Time. Confession #3: For the last four weeks, I have not felt like myself. I had what I thought was the flu last month, but I've not been able to bounce back from it. And then the telltale spots appeared....
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5 Simple Ways To Show Love (Today And Everyday)
In my time serving alongside people with disabilities at L'Arche, I've been the glad recipient of a lot of love. Here are a few specific ways of sharing love that stayed with me. May they bring a spark to your day! These are set in the style of 'The 5 love languages': Words of affirmation 1. Tell someone the truth of what they mean to you, or how they inspire you. A well-spoken, heartfelt compliment can feed the soul for weeks. Case in point: once, when Leo* told me, "Your temperament is all smiles," I was blown away. Leo is...
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