Less than a 5 hour drive from my front door is another world. It’s like two sides of a coin, and I flip it back and forth in my mind, trying to understand how such differences coexist on the same flat expanse. Trying to understand why my side has always been so glittery and shiny … More The Same Coin
Alea hopped in the car after school yesterday and cheerfully asked me, “Mama, what am I? Is it true that I’m half Chinese and half Midland, Texas?” Puzzled by the question, and curious about the back-story behind it… I held back on answering and asked my own question. “Why do you ask?” Her answer was … More 100 Percent American
Some Friday mornings find me standing over a copy machine in one of my daughter’s public elementary schools helping prepare things for her teacher. It’s a habit I began last year, and I enjoy the opportunity it gives me to connect with and support a place and people I’ve grown to love. This year there’s … More Is It Good Enough for Them
“You can be brave on the inside even if you aren’t brave on the outside,” she said the other night as I tucked them into bed. The profundity of her statement made me catch my breath. “What?” Little sister scrunched her nose, not nearly as impressed as I was with her big sister’s wisdom. “Don’t … More Brave on the Inside
I can still see the stretch of sidewalk, bathed in sunlight with dandelions poking through the cracks. I hear the grownups behind me, spilling out of the church onto the front lawn, catching up on the week’s events after giving the preacher a firm handshake at the door. I hear the laughter of little … More Hope Like a Question Mark
Today is one of those West Texas days that makes me grit my teeth… Mostly because I’m getting grit in my teeth. If you didn’t know better, it might look foggy outside. But it’s not a fine mist hanging in the air; it’s a fine dust. Hot, windy and dry… Days like this blow trash … More Weeds and Wildflowers
