Following my student's advice to let thoughts flow, I ended up crying under pine trees with Katarina. When I explained Auntie La La would live with Charming after the wedding, her chin quivered: 'You mean you're going to live far, far away?' Some Yellow Brick Roads lead us away from those we love.
Why My Timeline for Life Keeps Looking Like a Playdough Giraffe
I planned to marry at 22 and have kids by 28, just like my mom. Here's what Einstein's theory of relativity taught me about trying to control time—and why my evening glory bloomed in October.
From Fort Monroe Beach to Duck Methodist Church: Finding Our Perfect Wedding
Charming proposed again with my real ring on a pier in the Outer Banks, then we found the white church with a steeple I'd dreamed of since childhood. Sometimes God writes fairy tale endings in the most perfect settings.
The Wizard of Oz Skit That Taught Me About Saying Goodbye
Three weeks after getting engaged, I was directing a faculty skit instead of planning my wedding. Here's what playing Dorothy taught me about home, community, and letting go.
Surviving Hurricane Season: When Teaching and Wedding Planning Collide
Engaged to my dream man but drowning in Homecoming prep and yearbook deadlines. Sometimes life's best stories require weathering multiple storms at once.
Why I Stopped Waiting for My Life to Begin: Lessons from an Engagement
When you realize you want to spend forever with someone, you want forever to start now. But what if the waiting room is actually part of the gift?
The Fort Monroe Beach Proposal: When Prince Charming Finally Gets Down on One Knee
After two years of waiting and wondering, Charming surprised me with a fairy tale proposal at my favorite beach. Here's the story of glass slippers, horse-drawn carriages, and finally getting my happily ever after.
The Goo Goo Dolls and the Decision That Changed Everything
At a concert singing 'Iris,' I knew I loved him. The next day, he left town with no promises. Sometimes love means saying yes to uncertainty.
When Love Isn’t About Timing: Four Days Without Prince Charming
I broke up with Charming over our timing conflict—I'm ready for marriage, he's not. But driving away in a storm, God ministered to me through worship music. Is he worth the wait?
Like Grains of Sand
Two weeks after being diagnosed with ADHD at 34, I'm learning I interrupt because I'm afraid I'll forget. Charming needs deep conversation; I'm a poor conversationalist. Now I wear a tiny key charm—when I touch it, I imagine locking my lips. Summer's slipping away like sand, and maybe so is he.
Writer's Growth 