Two Months Before My Wedding: When Fear Overshadows Joy

Two months before my wedding, I should be giggling over swatches and favors. Instead, I'm stuck in fear—afraid of saying goodbye to my life in Hampton and starting over in Germany. Here's my honest struggle with pre-wedding anxiety.

My Rotator Cuff Stole My Garden—But Not My Ability to Grow Things

This April, I can't dig in the dirt or pull the lawnmower cord. But watching my students discover that alliteration mimics wind and waves, I realize: some gardens grow in syntactical soil, where seeds bloom long after the gardener moves to Germany.

Two Weeks of Pink Blooms and 155 Tuesday Nights: A Love Letter to What I’m Leaving

My Japanese magnolias bloom for exactly two weeks each March, shocking me even when I know they're coming. Like Nandy who died while I wrote last Tuesday—we just don't know how much time we have. This is my last March with these trees.

Understanding Yourself: Confessions of an ENFJ’s Journey to Self-Awareness

Taking the Myers-Briggs personality test in counseling revealed truths about myself I'd never fully understood. Here's what I learned about being an ENFJ and how it transformed my relationships.

The Day I Wielded a Pick Axe and Found My Resurrection

After a devastating fight with Charming, I spent seven hours in my garden wondering if dry bones can live. Here's what Ezekiel's vision taught me about hope, growth, and fairy tale endings.

Planting Seeds and Wondering: When Will I Have My Own Blank Slate?

Starting 144 seedlings from scratch, I know exactly what each will become. Watching my student Young Beauty and friends' children, I dream of my own blank slate—but first, Charming has to choose me.

The February Beach Day That Saved Me From My Winter of Waiting

I'd been asking God for a sign about motherhood when He gave me a seventy-degree day in February instead. Here's what I learned about footprints in the sand and everyday miracles.

Twin Birthday Cakes and Tiny Carrots: What My Garden Taught Me About Raising Humans

My niece's eyes lit up when I pulled a carrot from the soil like magic. As I frosted two different cakes for two different girls, I realized: we know what we're planting in gardens, but children? They come without labels.

The Evening Glories Need Untangling—But First I Have to Learn to Stop Fixing Everything

In twilight's storm, I resist untangling vines that double over themselves. My need to fix things—phones, weddings, people—is almost palpable. I couldn't sit in church service; I had to be in the AV booth with control. Sometimes facing worry means not taking action. Sometimes you sit still with tangled vines and wait for inspiration.