Thoughts on faith, motherhood, grief, writing, and the stories that shape us.
My dad's heart failed last month. In crafting his obituary for our twice-blended family, I honored the full, complex life of a Greek immigrant's son who served his country, raised his children, and never lost his love of donuts.
Read moreMy debut book marks one year at market, with libraries in 37 states, a TopShelf Indie Book Award nomination, and updated covers — a testament to the power of shared stories as a key to healing.
Read moreMy dad has been Dad and Mom for almost three decades. Nothing breeds empathy for your parents like becoming one yourself.
Read moreSipping tea from my Kate Spade wedding china the morning after her death, I'm reminded: we owe it to ourselves and the rising generations not to write off suicide as selfish.
Read moreFrom Mount Holyoke to the University of Dayton, U.S. colleges are going to great lengths to help international students launch careers — even as the climate for graduates from abroad grows trickier than ever.
Read moreA disappointing experience with our public school led us to classical-Christian education, where grammar, logic, and rhetoric shape our children's minds — and their faith anchors the whole endeavor.
Read moreWhen Vogue magazine covers postpartum anxiety, it's progress. In a world frequently ashamed of mental illness, our words carry great weight — powerful enough to defuse the shame.
Read moreMartha Hall Kelly's debut novel masterfully weaves fiction and history to illuminate Ravensbrück, Hitler's only all-women concentration camp — a place I never knew existed until I turned these pages.
Read moreA complicated birth, dark intrusive thoughts, and the absence of my mom hurled me into a postpartum furnace — but like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, I was not alone in the fire.
Read moreChicago is my home — not because I was born here, but because it shaped me. At Christmastime, the city glows at least five times brighter, and there is no place I would rather be.
Read moreGoodreads is giving away free copies of my debut book on postpartum depression. Enter for a chance to win.
Read moreAffliction breeds the strongest hope. We may not realize it while stuck in the mire, but it is there we build the strength that will one day bolster others.
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