Six years ago, my brother P.J. battled an ulcer that sought to make a widow of his wife and leave my nieces and nephew fatherless. My family battled right back in prayer, and God worked a miracle. Today, a similar circumstance reminds me of this story, where I raised an Ebenezer worth revisiting now.
Family
Dreams That Chase You: How Puerto Rico Called Me Home to Myself
Some dreams don't wait for permission—they chase you across oceans and through heartbreak. This is how Puerto Rico became the backdrop for rediscovering who I was meant to be.
What Matters Most: Lessons in Pursuits, People, and Poetry
Loss has a way of clarifying what actually matters. Here's what Joshua's death taught me about chasing the right things, investing in people, and finding beauty in unexpected places.
From Generations of Gardens to God’s Sovereignty: A Legacy of Faith and Growth
My grandfather's tomato garden connected me to generations of Italian immigrants who knew that growing things meant trusting God's provision. Here's how tending plants taught me about God's sovereignty and my place in His eternal family tree.
What My Three-Year-Old Niece Taught Me About Moving to Germany
Sometimes wisdom comes from the most unexpected teachers. As I prepared to leave everything familiar behind, my toddler niece reminded me what it really means to learn and grow.
Grief Without a Manual: Finding God in the Juxtaposition of Life and Death
When my grandmother passed, I discovered that grief doesn't follow neat stages. Sometimes it's an existential cloud that makes you question everything—including how to keep writing when words feel inadequate.
Converting VHS Memories While Grammy Dies: How Time Moves in Circles, Not Lines
My Grammy lies dying while I digitize her life—ninety-four years compressed into tapes that spin clockwise, just like the restaurant where Charming took me to help me see past the swirling chaos. Sometimes the monuments in the distance are the only things that stay in focus.
Redefining Joy: What I Learned Writing in My Car at Christmas
At 35, spending Christmas at my childhood home, I felt like I'd failed the fearless girl I used to be. Then I discovered joy isn't a feeling—it's the source of all gladness.
Making Bracelets for Grams: When Dementia Steals Your Person
At Thanksgiving, I brought beads to make bracelets with Grams like we used to during my divorce. Charming met Nonna, but he'll never meet the fierce woman who saved me with colorful conversations.
Duck Beach Dreams: When Childhood Expectations Meet Marriage Reality
At the Outer Banks beach house where Charming vacationed as a child, I realized I'd been planning my future children's lives based on my own childhood. Sometimes home isn't a place—it's a person.
Writer's Growth 