I have always known I was a storyteller. From a very early age, I created worlds in my mind. I had an imagination that ran wild. My third grade teacher Mrs. Knollinger, called me a liar. That is what old school Catholic teachers were told to teach: the law; not the truth. Thankfully my mother […]
The Places I Saw the Face of God
by on May 26, 2019 Leave a Comment
I grew up in a family where we were measured by performance. In elementary school, we were given quarters for our A’s. We were given dessert if we finished all of our food on our plate. We were given shelves for all our trophies. I did not have a shelf. Sports was something I did not […]
Dear Sweet Girl, For You, Justice Looks Like Healing
by on April 28, 2019 Leave a Comment
Dear Sweet Girl, Hear me. As I hold your freckled face between the palms of my hands, I believe you. You are wearing the navy blue shoes your dad bought for you last year. Before. Before everything changed. Before your wrists were pressed into the cold white sheets that December afternoon. Before you looked outside […]
Too Many Triggers
by on March 17, 2019 1 Comment
In 2012 I lived in Uganda. First in Entebbe, then Kampala, with a few visits to Luero and Jinja. It was never my intention to live in Uganda. I had planned on visiting while adopting our youngest son, perhaps three to five weeks. Soon after arriving it became apparent that if we wanted this adoption […]
When Silence Can’t Be Heard
by on January 27, 2019 1 Comment
“Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it.” -Tori Amos I am naked. There is a boy with some sort of facial hair watching me. I am not sure what they gave me, but I know I don’t have a bra on. (Apparently that […]
