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Library Love
Every night I read my son Cristian a set of bedtime stories. Even at one year old, he loves books and can pick his favorites. One book that always makes the stack is Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn & Rosalind Beardshaw. It is a short and sweet book about a...
our Chagall story
Twenty-five years ago, we took a train from Madrid to Nice on France’s Côte d’Azur. We, my friend Sarah and I, left our study abroad classmates behind for a holiday trip around Europe. The train was delayed in Marseille, and our basic French didn’t quite help us...
strangers no more
One of the hardest things for me to do as an (extroverted) introvert is starting a conversation with a stranger. Whether it’s a room full of high-powered leaders, folks with a common interest, or even little kids, gatherings can be anxiety-inducing for me. It makes it...
shedding skin
Growing up in the 80s and 90s in the Midwest, everyone wanted golden tan skin. My friends and I went to tanning beds to get a “base tan” so that we could then slather on baby oil and lay out on the beach during Spring Break and over the summer. With my Filipina...
wise men say
My earliest memories are framed by my mother’s love of two larger-than-life figures, Elvis and Jesus. I remember getting off the school bus in front of our house and hearing Elvis’ voice all the way down the driveway, crooning from the record player inside. Loud...
taking my time
Soon after my father died in 2013, I started writing stories that became the beginnings of a memoir about me, my family, love, and faith. A few years ago, I outlined chapters and started drafting a book proposal, and late last year I committed to intentionally carving...
life stories
Our family is in the midst of becoming licensed to provide Transitional Foster Care, giving a temporary home to unaccompanied children seeking asylum at the border. I wanted to participate in the program as soon as I heard about it because it sounded like a meaningful...
are you listening?
Listening is easy when you are falling in love, talking to your best friend, receiving good news, or meeting a kindred spirit. It gets harder when the person you are talking to is not so close, and even harder when you’re distracted or tired or unsure of what to say...
seeing and listening
I believe that books come into my life when I am supposed to read them. Some months ago I found myself going down a rabbit hole after listening to a podcast. I researched the guest and her contemporaries jumping from website to Instagram profile to the library app to...
“We do not write in order to be understood;
we write in order to understand.”
– C.S. Lewis