“J’ aimerais des fraises, s’il vous plait,” our no-fear six-year-old daughter rattled off to the woman behind a table blanketed with juicy red strawberries. These were our new favorites – the tiny Galveston variety grown in the south of France that melted in your mouth with just a hint of acid. They were delicate, meant …
Originally published in the 2026 Winter Edition of Soul Gardening. “Bless us, oh Lord, and these thy gifts…” Growing up Catholic and now raising a family of my own, saying grace before meals is an important tradition ingrained in my being. So much so, that I’ve been known at times to forget that I’ve said …
This year we returned to homeschooling after a much-needed hiatus. Like many families, we homeschooled during the pandemic. Like many families, we almost lost our minds. So, when we decided to homeschool again this year, I seriously questioned my sanity. Crazy? Perhaps. Hopeful? That’s what I’m going with. I have a nagging feeling that we …
Unloading my car after a trip to the local store, I noticed my five year-old son take a tin of lip balm out of his pocket. Lip balm that I’d never seen before. Oh wait, I had seen it. In a little box on the check-out counter. “Hon, where’d you get that lip balm?” He …
Growing up, I remember the overwhelming joy of waking up Christmas morning. That full-body rush of feeling, knowing that this was about to be the Best Day Ever. And without fail, it was. Waking up twenty-four hours later, however, there was the post-Christmas let down. All the fun – the presents, the food, the parties …
