One of my favorite holiday memories is helping my mother and grandmother cook for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Before I got married, I would spend the night before each holiday with my mom and do all the little prep work and washing, since they were the real cooks. Now I still like to come by sometime that week and help with…
Category: friendships
Finding Fulfillment in Life
I can honestly say I’m at one of the happiest times in my life, and it has nothing to do with what’s going on around me. Sure, I’m about to have my second child to complete our family, my stand-up and writing careers are getting recognition, and I have a great support system of family and friends. But I give…
Family Support for Starting a New School
Whether it’s the first day of preschool or the first day of a doctorate program, starting a new school year is never easy. Those years when the transitioning encompasses not only another grade but also a whole new school seem to be the most difficult. Fortunately, family members can play an important part in helping the student transition more smoothly.…
What Every College Graduate Should Know
Graduating college is an exciting time, filled with mixed emotions of freedom and responsibility. It’s been 10 years since I walked across that stage at The University of Alabama, and I wish I knew then what I do now. Hopefully these practical nuggets will help recent grads. 1-Don’t Expect Overnight Success. Even if you are fortunate enough to land a…
What Makes A Mother?
Despite having a son for two and a half years, it still catches me off guard when someone wishes me “Happy Mother’s Day.” Maybe it’s because until I had my son, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to be a mother. Or maybe it’s because since he’s so young I feel like I have not yet earned the right…
Real Christianity
This Sunday churches across America will have pews running over as “people come out of the woodworks” (as we say in the South) for Easter. I admit to sometimes feeling a little aggravated at the fact that many people only show up out of some conscience obligation that tells them “that’s what you do on Easter Sunday” (or at least…
10 Things You Should Do Before You Get Married
Spring just officially started, which means wedding season is on the way. While people do get married year round, the spring and summer months are most popular in the South. (I guess people don’t mind sweating like a hog to avoid missing a football game.) In fact, I got married the first week in June. My husband and I will…
How to Become Fluent in the Language of Love
Four letter words always get our attention and are usually fueled by emotion. Yet one four-letter word stands above the rest when it comes to conveying feelings, and though it’s perfectly fine to say, it can be one of the hardest to leave the lips. That word is Love. From the first time you muttered it to your significant other…
Giving People a Chance to Change
Last night I said some things I shouldn’t have said about a person I have not seen, talked to, or been around in over a decade. I feel bad about saying those things now, but I learned a valuable lesson in the process. When the person was casually mentioned, I gave my opinion (without anyone asking for it, which was…
Trying Not to Question God
Wow. I just got news that someone I was once very close to passed away today. My heart is heavy for obvious reasons, but also because I had no idea about her illness until now. We drifted apart for reasons unknown to me awhile ago, but I still hold a lot of fond memories of her and love her family…