cultivating the beautiful ordinary by sharing our tales and our tables
“Sadly, the body of Christ has often failed to see trauma as a place of service…I think a look at suffering humanity would lead to the realization that trauma is perhaps the greatest mission field of the twenty-first century.” – Diane Langberg Almost eleven years have passed since Tom’s diagnoses: Mycobacterial Avium Complex (MAC), Bronchiectasis,…
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When my friend Ted died from esophageal cancer, he was my seventh friend to die in seven years. I was bereft. Ted and I had been close friends for thirty years. By his generosity, he inspired me to be generous, and he also fostered my love of travel. Because of him, I have had some…
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In September 2022, a year-and-a-half after Mom’s death, I stood in the basement that housed my business, Heart Path Story Coaching, from its opening in April 2019 until now. It is where Mom confessed she should have never made me president of the family. It is where I met with my earliest clients and art…
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What does it mean, now, for me to show up? Is it me, my body, clean, clothed, and correct, a physical form occupying space? Saying yes, smiling, sorting through small talk while inside my heart races?
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I met my best friend when I was four and she was five. We were in the same dance class and became instant friends. Almost all of my childhood memories include her, almost all of my high school sleepovers, as well as my college and young adult happy hours. We went to different colleges but…
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One recent Thursday, after wrapping up my work sessions for the week, I checked my phone. A thoughtful message from a friend pierced a pain that had been simmering inside, prompting instant tears that melted me into the ground. My head had been hurting for days. I was exhausted, and I knew there were emotions…
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My mother hated my first book. Shortly after it was published, her sister asked to meet with me, and observed that the woman who wrote it was very angry. I believe my aunt was quite surprised when I agreed with her. I remember the morning well.
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Complex grief is the terminology I’d use to describe my 2023. That year I was in a bad car accident, my ovarian cysts caused me to bleed for three months, my mother was diagnosed with stage four cancer and passed away within six months, I was sexually assaulted at a spa, my two-year relationship ended,…
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Everyone envisions a family. For some it is a picket fence, three kids, and a collie. My vision was a rowdy tribe, living one wild adventure after another.
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My favorite piece of jewelry is a gold necklace—a dainty chain and a small gold disc that resembles a British pound coin. The outer edge of the pendant has a tiny scalloped edge circling the round shape, which gives it a unique beauty. On one side the word Hope is engraved, and on the other,…
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