INSIDE THE BOX
For Strong Women
I saw an old friend recently who confessed she’d been going through a tough time. You’d never know it by looking at her. . . . Like so many of the strong women I know, she has a seemingly limitless store of talent and energy. But maybe she needs a break from being strong.
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
It’s been a chilly, dreary spring so far in central Illinois: lots and lots and LOTS of rain. Bone-cold, blowing, hit-you-from-the-side-rain. But this morning, as I strolled along the river at the center of our town, I spotted a clump of brave little daffodils pushing up their delicate heads to brighten the world around them.
Instructions on Not Giving Up
The long awaited day has arrived! Winter is finally over. The crocuses are popping their tiny heads out of the still-thawing ground. The sun is lingering longer in the sky. The birds are venturing from their nests to sing in celebration. Warmth and color are returning to our cold, grey world. . . .
a poem of war
War kills so much more than soldiers. It kills babies in their cribs, young women on their way to work, and old men in their chairs. It kills livelihoods and neighborhoods, schools and parks, forests and waterways. It kills dreams. It kills hope. It can kill our very souls . . . .
Everything is Waiting for You
The COVID-19 epidemic has altered people's lives in different ways. For many, it has meant unprecedented physical suffering. For others, profound grief. For some, a loss of another sort . . .
Come to Dust
Looking out the window as I write this, I see a landscape covered in snow. It’s been there for a while now, since the last few days of December, and it will likely stick around for weeks to come. . . .
Life is a Test of Hope
This week’s poem honors two great men: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (whose birth we celebrate this month) and Bishop Desmond Tutu (whose death we mourned last month). Although they lived continents apart, they had much in common. . . .
Miles to Go
Just when we thought we might be coming out of the woods, here we are at the end of another year, still mired in a crisis of viral spread and rising hospitalizations. How long will this go on?
The Shortest Day
December 21st marks the Winter Solstice—the point at which the path of the sun is farthest south. For those of us in the Northern hemisphere, this solstice brings us our shortest day and our longest night.
Before the ice is in the pools
For people all around the world, December is a time of preparation, anticipation, and wonder. Whether we’re celebrating Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, Winter Solstice, Omisoka, or no holiday at all, December nudges us to reflect on what has been, look forward to what lies ahead, and open ourselves up again to the possibilities of magic and miracle.
Thanksgiving Time
Isn’t it wonderful to have a holiday that asks us to pause and give thanks? In the midst of the daily bustle, as we go about doing and planning, coming and going, fretting and longing, it is all too easy to lose sight of the innumerable gifts that enrich our lives.
With That Moon Language
As I walked out into our backyard one evening a couple of weeks ago to lock up the chickens for the night, I was greeted by an enormous full moon. It felt like a gift of grace—not only because of its breathtaking beauty but also because it reminded me of this poem by the 14th century poet Hafiz.
Old Friends
Is there any sound more comforting at the end of a long, hard day than the voice of an old friend? Any balm more curative than the companionship of someone who’ll listen without judgment to even the worst of your missteps?
Neighbors in October
Isn’t October wonderful? It brings us crisp-cool mornings and warm afternoon breezes, fields full of bright orange pumpkins and bushel baskets brimming with ruby red apples. It brings us the first whiffs of woodsmoke and offers us a last chance to run barefoot through the grass. . . .
All I Know of Heaven
It’s cross country season. Students at middle schools, high schools, and colleges all around the country are lacing up their sneakers and quietly running past the roaring crowds in football stadiums to hit the trails that crisscross their campuses and towns.
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.