Of all the instruments in an orchestra, the cello is the most soulful. I am sure of it. Perhaps I only believe this because my mom always loved cellos. Perhaps it is that the melodies most often played by cellos lend themselves to lyrical loveliness. Whatever the reason, hearing a cello’s voice in a piece […]
The Slow, Painful and Essential Work of Building Community (Or, “St Paul, Were You Drunk?”)
“Pinterest, are you drunk?” I mutter. I mean it as a joke, of course, but jokes always have an underbelly of truth. “Are you drunk?” is something I mutter under my breath when I see anything that feels like an impossible ask: the school sandwiches cut with personalized cookie cutters and lovingly placed in a […]
Praying with Palms Up
“Heads bowed, hands together, eyes closed.” This was how we prayed, our seven-year old little bodies being trained in the ways of holiness. Also, at the end we said “Amen.” I wasn’t sure why we did any of those things, but I did know these were the words and posture of prayer. Prayer, if it […]
Blessed Interruptions
“Sure,” I said to my husband, “that sounds like fun. We don’t have a lot else going on that month.” And just like that, we agreed that we would pull the kids out of school for a week and accompany him on a business trip. It would be an adventure. It would take a little […]