Faith Grief & Loss
My Mother's Faith
A childhood autograph book revealed my mother's unwavering faith — a faith forged through abuse, abandonment, and loss that she passed to me like a torch before she died.
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Stories about everything from motherhood, faith, and grief, to classical-Christian education, current events, and the writing life.
Wellness
Are Women Afraid of Each Other?
Deep friendships between women are rare, life-giving, and sometimes frightening. As my best friend moves across the country, I explore why female intimacy matters — and why so many women avoid it.
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Uncomfortably Numb
Mothering two young children has dulled my once-sharp mind and stalled my writing career. But chasing perfection is the real enemy — and God is bigger than the zombie zone of early motherhood.
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Attachment Parenting, 1970s-style
My mom nursed me until I was five — long before attachment parenting had a name. That fierce bond gave me an emotional reservoir I still draw from as a mother myself.
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Mom's Milk+Formula=A Happy Baby
My friend Annabelle found her own unconventional path — pumping exclusively and supplementing with formula — proving that the best feeding plan is the one that works for mom and baby.
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The Joy of Nursing
A fellow journalist shares how a lactation consultant transformed her early struggles into nearly two years of nursing — and some of the most cherished moments of her life.
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'Your Son Will Be Fat, Lazy and Sick'
When my cousin Rachel switched to formula, a close friend warned her son would be fat, lazy, and sick. Years later, he's thriving — and the friendship still bears the scars.
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Got Milk? Breastfeeding's Not Free--or Easy
Breastfeeding carries real economic and social costs, from lost earnings to public scorn. Moms deserve support — not judgment — no matter how they choose to feed their babies.
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The Bright One
I finally learned the gender of the baby I lost between my two children — a girl. Naming her Lena Karen gave her a wholeness that grief alone could never provide.
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A Time for Everything
On my son's third birthday, I returned to the Chicago neighborhood where he was born and reflected on how motherhood dismantled my old life — and slowly built a new one.
Read more Current Events Motherhood
Raising Children is Like Writing Stories
A day of field reporting reminded me how much I love journalism — and revealed that the skills of chasing a story aren't so different from the work of raising children.
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