Everyone expects a proposal by Christmas, but I know the real Charming takes his time. Here's what I've learned about love that doesn't rush, respect that doesn't demand, and fairy tales that aren't perfect.
Author: Laura Joy Palma
Half My Christmas Lights Keep Dying—Just Like My First Marriage Did
Charming hung and rehung icicle lights three times this weekend. I kept thinking of my ex-husband and how we got better at fixing Christmas lights than our marriage. Some relationships have too many broken strands. But this little house still glows like a beacon—reminding me I'm never alone.
Learning to Trust When Life Falls Apart: What Friends’ Miscarriage Taught Me
When friends lost their baby overseas, I realized I'd been applying the logic of one failed marriage to every future possibility. Sometimes trust isn't about odds—it's about the One holding the camera.
The Man Who Pedals Wisdom Beside Me Finally Met the One I’m Learning to Love
Chuck understands emotions the way my father never could. For a year of weekday gym sessions, he's been translating my world to help me understand Charming's. When they shook hands over coffee, I saw how one man's wisdom had been quietly saving my love story.
Lost in Toledo Streets, I Found My Tribe: Why Childless Teachers Make the Best Tour Leaders
Chris jumped into my selfie in Plaza Mayor before I knew his name. Hours later on hotel stairs, this veteran tour leader showed me why not having kids at home means I can give my students the world—starting with Italy in seven months.
Voting for President While Packing for Spain—This Time I Won’t Order Make-Up for My Bread
I voted for the platform in politics today. With my first husband, I did the same—ignored the holes in character my journals documented. Tomorrow I fly to Madrid where Mulan and I once laughed about my ordering "maquillaje" instead of "mantequilla." This time I'm voting for Charming, character and platform both.
The Halloween Photo That Broke My Heart (And What It Taught Me)
I wasn't in my nieces' Halloween photos, and suddenly I saw the truth: I can't use other people's children to fill the void in my own life. Sometimes we need to look up.
The Ring Bearer Pillow I Can’t Throw Away
My aunt embroidered butterflies and my wedding date into a pillow for my failed marriage. Years later, at another wedding, I understood why I still keep it—scars and all.
Why I Couldn’t Have Fun at the Halloween Party
Dressed as a flapper with the man I love, I should have been happy. Instead, I felt empty. Here's what loneliness taught me about looking for God in all the wrong places.
There’s a Chill Under Everything—Even on Perfect Fall Nights
I needed a blanket not for warmth but comfort. Hurricane Matthew took a thousand lives, the presidential debate felt like another storm, and under all our distractions—football games, festivals, forty flavors of chips—something isn't right. Teddy Roosevelt said character is indispensable. When we finally stop and feel the chill, that's where character gets built.
Writer's Growth 