INSIDE THE BOX
Keeping Quiet
Last week was an especially busy and stressful one for me. I was hurried, scattered, and anxious—a real “hot mess,” as my big sis, Lee Ann, would say. During such times, I’m prone to be hard on myself and others—especially the folks I love most.
September Midnight
Yellow leaves were falling on the grass in our backyard as I walked out to the chicken coop this morning. I greeted them with a sigh. Though it’s blazing hot in Illinois today, during the past week we’ve felt the first few whispers of fall . . .
Woman Work
As we celebrate Labor Day with picnics, festivals, and feasts, I can’t help thinking of the millions of people in world for whom this day is simply another round of exhaustingly repetitive, strenuous work—work from which there is never a real holiday.
The Journey
I am starting out on a new journey today—a journey toward a whole new career. I’m equal parts excited and scared out of my wits.
Kindness
I recently had a horrendous travel day. I’d been down south visiting family and was set to fly back to Illinois early on Saturday afternoon. On the morning of my departure, I received a text from the airline saying my flight would be delayed a couple of hours. “No problem!” I said to myself. “I can roll with this.”
In Mrs Tilscher’s Class
It’s that time again! Children and parents all over the country are stuffing pencils and notebooks into new backpacks, checking schedules, and resetting their alarms for the first day of school.
The Summer Day
Summer is a perfect time to pause and take a moment to look, smell, feel and listen to the world around us—a perfect time to marvel at its beauty and wonder about its origins.
Problems with Hurricanes
The erratic weather we've been having this summer across the country-and around the globe-is nothing short of alarming.
From Blossoms
Every summer during my childhood, my parents would load all of us kids into our wood-paneled Ford station wagon and head out the East Tennessee mountains for a long drive to the coast.
The Arrow and the Song
Between 2010 and 2020, our family moved seven times across three states. In the process, I fell out of touch with a lot of old friends.