Author: Big Family Trips
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Life Lesson: Feel Your Feelings
We live in a culture where it is often not OK to have feelings. We constantly see memes and decor that say things like “Life is too short to be anything but happy,” or “the prettiest girl is the one who wears a smile,” or “You are not allowed to feel feelings EXCEPT FOR JOY…
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Return of the Blog
Hey Friends. It’s been a while. I used to write here frequently. After I put the kids to bed, my nights were long and lonely. I poured my nervous energy onto the page in a puddle of words and then tried to arrange them in a way that made sense, a narrative that illuminated the…
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Delawareans: Oppose HB 160 legalizing Physician Assisted Suicide
I sent this to my legislators. Feel free to share: I strongly oppose the passage of HB140, the “Delaware Death with Dignity” act, which allows terminally ill patients to request physician assistance in ending their lives. I work for an agency which is heavily focused on suicide prevention and life promotion, particularly among those with…
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Tips for the New Moms
Most of the time I still feel like a new mom, but when I look back on the time when I was getting ready to have my first child, it was a lot different than how I feel now, getting ready to have my third. After my first, I felt utterly overwhelmed and sort of…
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A Few Post-Election Thoughts (Gag)
I know everyone is sick of these posts, but I have to say my piece, and be done with it. I’m going to go ahead and talk about my feelings after the election, so if you’re at the point where anything containing the words “election” and “feelings” make you gag, go ahead and stop reading…
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Life Lessons 1-10
I was at a doctor’s appointment the other day, and I filled out all the forms, writing my age as “31.” Then a few hours later, I said, “Wait a minute,” remembered the year of my birth, did some counting on my fingers, and realized I’m 32. I’ve reached the age where I can no…
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Clinging to a Mustard Seed
The night is hurtling towards the early morning hours but I lie awake with my mind spinning. A sleepless night with no distractions is my enemy. I push away memories like ping pong balls in my head, only to have them return, jolting, distorted, as soon as my body begins to relax. And so I…
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Self Care and the Christian Life
I grew up attending a conservative Christian school. Our skirts needed to be no more than 4 inches above the knee, and we had devotions every day and chapel once a week. I learned many of the foundational truths of my life in that school. But I may have misinterpreted some of the Biblical principals…
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Losing a Sibling to Suicide
Images in Grieving Since my brother died in 2011, I have taken my kids to see his stone each spring, and posted pictures. It is a peaceful and lovely place for them to run around. I hope to foster an environment where we feel comfortable talking about life, death and life after death; and…
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How To Organize Your Life in 3.5 Years
In 2011, I started going through a book called One Year to an Organized Life. I got through it earlier this year (yes, I realize it’s 2015), and here are some lessons I’ve learned along the way: 1.) If you want to have an organized life in one year, do not have kids that year. Kids…
Mercy in the Madness 