December is a month steeped in tradition, when the fullness of our lives—the memories of our own childhoods, past Christmases, family and friends who have come and gone, things we’ve lost and found—all of it layers like phyllo dough into a pastry that wraps itself around the gooey, warm baked brie of right now. TheContinue reading “Incarnations and Epiphanies”
Tag Archives: joy
So You Survived a Global Pandemic. Great! Now What?
“What were some things in your life that were hard or painful for a little while, but then when it was over, there was celebration?” Lydia asked, reading the question from the night’s devotional entry. It is Holy Week. We (I) decided for Lent this year, we would strap in, buckle up, and get throughContinue reading “So You Survived a Global Pandemic. Great! Now What?”
What’s Ahead, What’s Behind
The kids go back to school tomorrow, which means winter break is officially over and the new year is about to begin. If you’ve been sticking around these parts for a while, you know that I love lists, resolutions, words, and goals. It’s that time again! Last year, my word from the Lord was “recover,”Continue reading “What’s Ahead, What’s Behind”
Little Joys—Old Photos
You can tell any story you want from old photos, but the true magic of these frozen moments are the facts and memories of the lives that animated those images.
Little Joys—German Food
We are on our way to see Hamilton tonight, thanks to my mom and dad for an excellent Christmas present, and to begin our night we are eating the fare of our heritage: German! Here’s to Haufbrauhaus and Hamilton! Prost!
Little Joys—The Woods
Until we lived on a property with pine trees, I never appreciated the seasonality of evergreens. Our pines, rhododendrons, arborvitae, and spruce have growing seasons and seasons of dormancy, times when they are more aromatic and times when they drop their needles. We planted some trees in the last few years, and when I seeContinue reading “Little Joys—The Woods”
Little Joys—Music
I challenge you to find anything as magical as making music. You can gather a hundred high school musicians on a stage and, even though they resist cooperation in every other setting by their very nature of being teenagers, they will let down their need for individuality in order to lend their voice or instrumentContinue reading “Little Joys—Music”
Little Joys—Blankets
I begin my day on a recliner in our office with a blue throw blanket my daughter, Lydia, bought me. Its tassels are slowly being gnawed off by our puppy, Ruby, who also chewed up not one but two blue pens while lying on it, so now there are a few indigo splotches here andContinue reading “Little Joys—Blankets”
Little Joys—Waffle Cones
We went with friends to Carolina Beach for spring break this year, and one of the stops we made (twice? maybe three times?) was at a little ice cream shop called Boombalatti’s. Not only was the ice cream so good we went back twice or maybe three times, but they make waffle cones in-house. YouContinue reading “Little Joys—Waffle Cones”
Little Joys—Izzy and Ruby
Izzy came to us the week we learned my mom’s cancer had come back as stage IV kidney cancer, and in the seven years since, she has been the default therapy dog in the house. Ruby joined the crew last Christmas, marking the beginning of the year that we learned Mom’s cancer is gone… NEDContinue reading “Little Joys—Izzy and Ruby”
Sarah Marie Wells 