nurturing her tangled hair, barefoot soul, and strong mind
Dear Daughter, You are the answerTo a prayerI never darewhisper out loud. You are the piece of my soulI never knew was missingBut recognizedthe moment I laid eyes on you You are the floating hopeI feared was drownedlong ago You are the reckoning forceFar stronger than any cageThey’ll try to place you in. You are… Continue reading You are the Answer
Listen close, dear daughter… You don’t have to play the part of the good girl.I know the weight that it carries.Trying to be ‘good.’Good is doing all the right things.Good is self-sacrifice.Good is what’s expected.Good is what’s praised. Except Good is subjective. What looks good for someCan feel terrible for others.What someone says feels good.May… Continue reading Let’s be Real
Today, my girl is the greatest human in the room. And I’m not just saying this room, I’m saying EVERY room. She’s the funniest, the smartest, the kindest, and of course, the most beautiful. That girl of mine shines the brightest. Today, she is the greatest because she believes it so. Tomorrow, this will change.… Continue reading Bullying
As I sat on my back porch tonight, I felt the winds change. It’s a subtle shift. A soft whisper. The land around me sucked in its last summer breath and released a cool warning that these moments of warmth were coming to an end. While I knew the shift of season was approaching, have… Continue reading Holding on to Summer Magic
The climb has always called me. From the time I could walk, I felt compelled to lift my feet off the ground. In my yard, there lived a great apple tree. Her branches beckoned from the first day that my parents allowed me to toddle out of their arms. By four years old, I was… Continue reading The Climb
It was one of the first phrases she mastered. My little one-year-old. A golden spout of hair spilling out of a tiny elastic and a huge smile denting into her round cheeks. She took whatever was offered with the sweetest squeak, “ten too!” I’ve always been proud that my kids are so well mannered with… Continue reading The Art of “Thank You”
It was a big day. My girl’s first date. The Daddy Daughter Dance. We stood before the mirror. The warm smell of strawberry shampoo and hairspray mingled with hot metal. It rose off the curling iron as I wrapped her hair in tight ringlets. She bounced before her reflection about as patient… Continue reading The 1st Date
Her hand clutches her hip. Her chin held high. He words leave her lips with force. “This is how we are going to play this game,” she asserts. Her friends fall into place, but I hear one of them whisper to another. “She’s so bossy.” I immediately cringe. That word hits me like an age-old… Continue reading Like A Boss
We pull into the drop off line at the elementary school, and I turn in the driver’s seat to kiss her goodbye when I see it. A string of orange slime tangled in her eyebrow. I take a deep breath as I lick my thumb and run it across her brow. (Admit it… you’ve done… Continue reading Sugar & Spice & Everything Slime
When my girl was a baby, I couldn’t wait to see her in a tutu. Graceful on stage beneath twirls of glittery tulle. Or strutting across a padded mat, tumbling about in a sparkling leotard. I always wanted to be a dancer or a gymnast, and I was thrilled to watch… Continue reading Choosing her Strength