“I Miss You!”
Our eldest daughter is, hands down, the most affectionate child I’ve ever known. If my husband and I are cuddling on the couch, she is not content until she’s dropped everything and sprawled herself across the pile. If we’re hugging
My Seashell Finder
Last week, a friend sent a picture from the newspaper showing my six-year-old daughter’s kindergarten class of 2030. Out of eleven students, three wanted to be veterinarians, three police officers, two teachers, one a firefighter, and one a scientist. Only one wanted
Monitoring My Heart
You will always believe you’re free from fear until something crops up to try to change your mind. This week, I was about to dish up supper when I realized the barbecue chicken legs were still bloody inside. It was already
The Beauty of Flu Season
A few years ago, in Wisconsin, a woman with five daughters said she never experienced such closeness to her children as when she took care of them when they were ill. I remember looking into the mother’s face and seeing nostalgia
My Five Year Plan
Last week, the Southern Festival of Books was held in Nashville, which I forgot to sign up for because the deadline fell shortly after my daughter’s birth. This week, I also received an invitation to visit with some author friends
The Beginning, Again
On Tuesday, at the coffee shop, I noticed a young mom and dad sitting across from each other. The mom scarfed down a sandwich while glancing at the car seat on the table as if the newborn could escape. I loved
Can’t See Eden for the Fall
My best friend and I stood in the perennial bed in front of her river cottage, looking out over her farm. Ducks waddled and honked as they splashed in the baby pool. The black mare twitched her tail while grazing
My Favorite Day
I don’t even remember how it began. "My favorite day" was just one of those adorable, grammatically incorrect sayings a child utters and her parents cannot soon forget. Since then, I have tried to get my daughters to keep an eye
The Truth About “Happily Ever After”
Barely 9 p.m. and my husband and I were sprawled across the bed as if we’d been shot. “I don’t even know what day it is,” he said. “It’s Satur—" I paused. "No, wait . . . it’s Friday.” “I’ll just be glad
Turn Around & They’re Grown
Seven years ago, my husband and I went out to Wisconsin for a wedding. During the rehearsal dinner, we sat across from one of his relatives, who had three children under five. The man’s eyes were bloodshot, and two of