Mar
3
an imperfect goodbye
She didn’t like the cold, she didn’t like the heat, and she didn’t like rain. My grandmother, or “Nana” as I called her, was very weather-affected. One story in particular stands out. I remember my dad planning to take her to Walmart-but when it started to rain, she refused to go. He told her she […]
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Feb
9
Will God love my baby?
The subject line caught my attention. I opened the email to find a young woman pleading for advice. Lily* told me she became pregnant while engaged. The fear she felt seemed to seep through every word of her story. Why was she afraid? It seemed everyone around her was telling her the same message: God would […]
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Feb
2
stop quitting
We all have the tendency to be quitters. We quit when things get hard, quit when we don’t feel like it, quit when there’s opposition, and quit because it’s Tuesday. But why do we quit? Sometimes it’s because we allow people’s words to make us feel like we don’t have what it takes. Like we’re […]
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Jan
26
Should you settle for Mr. Good Enough?
There are some days when emotions take over. I want to stomp my foot and shout like a child, “It’s not fair!” There are far too many beautiful, incredible women (and men) wanting the right person to come along. Some are ‘putting themselves out there’, others aren’t. Some are ‘waiting on God’, others still treat sex […]
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Jan
12
4 things you must stop saying about yourself this year
Words can really hurt. Not just words from friends, professors, bosses, or parents—but our words about ourselves can be the most damaging. I was in line at Urban Outfitters over Christmas and glanced through Lena Dunham’s new book, Not that Kind of Girl. Lena opens a chapter with, “I’m 20 years old, and I hate myself.” I only […]
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Jan
5
a year of baths : on learning the art of self-care
I took more baths in 2014 than all the years combined since childhood. When I look back on 2014, I picture myself either being asked 20 questions about my large belly or sinking into a (not too hot) bath. From February to May, I would sit in the bathtub ridden with nausea. During the hot […]
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Nov
3
an unfathomable joy: June’s birth story
I went to see my doctor on Tuesday. Michael came with me. I had slept a little less than three hours and taken two hot baths in the middle of the night. Waiting for a baby to arrive feels a little like being 5 years old and hearing that Santa will come any day. All […]
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Sep
29
Anxiety, sleepless nights, & the illusion of control
I am writing this blog post at four am on Sunday morning. I was awakened by thoughts of tasks undone and the unknown future. After hours of trying to go back to sleep and thinking about how tired I’m going to be all day, I stopped fighting it. I sit in my dark living room, writing, because that’s […]
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Sep
21
Obama is tackling sexual violence—and he gets it
“Our society does not sufficiently value women. We still don’t condemn sexual assault as loudly as we should.” Obama announced a public service campaign, called “Its On Us” to stop sexual violence on college campuses. This campaign will target both men and women, but will particularly focus on men. As stated by the New York Times, […]
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Sep
9
big thighs, blue dresses, and self-love
Under the bright dressing-room lights at Target, I try on countless outfits. I am seven months pregnant. My body looks different now with new curves and indentions and a belly that swells each day. “I am really pregnant” I think and put on long blue dress, hoping it won’t look as bad as the others. I turn […]
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