when i look at our family tree, it seems safe to say that the only similarity i am confident of is this: generation after generation, our tears are in the same language.
family tree poem
2019: Here’s What I Read This Year
I read 30 books in 2019! And I'm pretty proud of that. Here are some noticings about all the books I read: I read 3 graphic novels, 8 fiction novels, 16 non-fiction works, and 3 books of poetry. 25 of the 30 books were written by women and/or non binary folks. 16 of the 30... Continue Reading →
Read with Me in 2019: Books 26-30!
As I typed out the title for this, I just realized this is it. This is the last one for 2019. And honestly, I'm pretty proud of 30 books in one year. I didn't set out to read a certain number, although I maybe would have preferred 50, but 30 is pretty good. I read... Continue Reading →
It’s (Not) the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
For some, including me, the end of the calendar year brings a lot of reminders of how much pain we're experiencing. Gathering with family can reopen a lot of old wounds. Not gathering with family can cause heartache too. The list of reasons to be grieving is long... I could sense in myself the dread... Continue Reading →
There is Evidence of Living All Over My Living Room
I sort of joke now about how my step-mom kept our house like a model home. On any given day, it could have been put on the market and shown to potential buyers. Everything was surface-level clean... except the kids' rooms. When I started dating Ben in tenth grade, I was so surprised by the... Continue Reading →
Phrases I’m Choosing Not to Say Anymore
I really identify with the term "liberal snowflake." I suppose it is meant to be an insult, but I really treasure the uniqueness and value of each human being, and I want everyone to have access to resources that serve their physical and emotional well-being. I am in a new role as a racial equity... Continue Reading →
day two poem
we brought you home from the hospital on your second day of life. i sat in the gliding chair in my room with you cradled like a football in my lap; your dad read a new book to your sister on the bed next to us. i complained that i didn’t understand how to position... Continue Reading →
Rethinking Thanksgiving
I was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but my immediate family moved to Denver, Colorado when I was five years old. I remember many road trips in the family van through South Dakota, Nebraska, and eastern Colorado. My dad always tried to take “shortcuts” to make the trip quicker, and in doing this, often... Continue Reading →
november 24 poem
it might have something to do with my literature degree, but i tend to search for meaning even when meaning doesn't want to be found. when i discovered my pregnancy with you, i must have turned the volume up on whatever sense i carry with me that seeks out the moments in life that are... Continue Reading →
Read with Me in 2019: Books 21-25
Summer came and went, and I was able to read again with more diligence and less exhaustion. I absolutely relish the chance to get lost in a story, and I'm so grateful for a season that slows down enough for me to read more. I went to an amazing conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan in... Continue Reading →
