My emotions have run the gamut during the quarantine related to Covid-19. Like many around the world, each day is like climbing a mountain with the hopes of seeing a final destination, but when the top is reached, it becomes clear that valleys and peaks remain. The journey continues on. As I trudge through, I…
Author: Katie P.
Dear Seniors…
Dear High School Seniors, I’m not sure that even Agatha Christie could have come up with such a plot twist to end your high school stories. These are extraordinary times for everyone, but I feel the acute sadness coming from your class in particular, and rightly so. No one could have imagined that you’d be…
A Believer’s Response To The Coronavirus
I walked into Walgreens to purchase hand sanitizer. There wasn’t one bottle left at the store where I regularly shop, but I figured a drug store would still have several. I was wrong. The salesclerk even chuckled when I asked if they had any in the back. So, instead I grabbed chocolate. As I waited…
Who Are You And What Do You Do?
“It’s nice to meet you. So, what do you do?” I had just met a new, young couple at a social gathering and as soon as the conversation broke off from couples to individuals, this was the question I posed to the young woman standing in front of me. She waved her hand and said,…
Finding Purpose In The Mundane
I’ve been back teaching in a middle school classroom after almost twenty years. A lot has changed, most notably the technology, of which I am still figuring out, but a lot has remained the same: adolescent drama, eye-rolling over homework, the surprising depth of teen’s questions and comments, and the delight in seeing something “click”…
Christmas Before Thanksgiving?
There are two kinds of people in this world. Two. There are those who dive into all things Christmas as soon as halloween passes and the weather turns crisp, and there are those who are normal. Two kinds, my friends. There are two kinds of people. I do salute the enthusiasm of those whose trees…
All-In Excitement
Over the course of a few years, my husband and I and some friends planned a trip to Italy. As the trip grew closer, my excitement grew as well. I had never been to this part of the world, so until our excursion became a reality, I had only vicariously placed myself in the pictures…
Waving The White Flag To Teenage-Hood
I recently read this statement from a popular public figure: “Shout out to the parents who are worn out from all the disciplining and rule-setting and fact-checking and boundary-keeping. I mean, we can’t let them all grow up to be terrorists. I know. But my gosh.” And the crowds went wild. Parents wrote in from…
What Do You Want?
“What do you want?” This was the question that my husband began his sermon with a few weeks back. In the momentary silence, I admit the first thing that came to mind is that I want my family to be “alright.” I want us to have good health, I want my kids to follow Jesus…
The Beautiful Reality and The Necessary Response
When I was around eleven or twelve, my parents started allowing me to “babysit” my younger siblings. I remember the first time they left us alone because they were very strict about the rules and my responsibilities. What I don’t remember is my two younger sisters. I have no recollection of my younger siblings when…