Have there been times when you’ve been utterly stripped down to the most basic functions of life? Maybe it’s chronic illness, grief, an injury, a job hunt that’s taking longer than expected, a cross-country move, a family member’s diagnosis, a strained relationship, or depression that encumbers everything? […]
Finding Freedom In Letting Sorrow Do Its Work
“We have the freedom to feel sorrow and grief.” I read this quote this week, and I let out a long sigh. “Yessss,” I whispered. Joni Eareckson Tada always ministers to me through her words – these were written in her book A Step Further, published the year I was born. I discovered Joni when I was 20 years old, fresh off of my first long illness. […]
Resting, Not Resigned: Living a Life of Peace When Your World is Rocked
I recently told my story to a new friend – a fellow writer and chronic illness warrior out there in the blogosphere. Over the phone, she said she cried no less than four times in 13 minutes. That was not my goal, but it felt like almost an out-of-body experience, retelling how in four years […]
My Mother’s Ring: Lessons on Beautiful Imperfection
Since my mother’s death seven years ago, I’ve worn her beautiful star opal ring nearly every day. I’ve only taken it off to clean it, when my hands were too swollen, or when surgery necessitated it. I get compliments on it often; even better that it’s my favorite color – blue. The ring was a […]
