I know exactly where I was when I heard that the tragic events of January 8th in Tucson had claimed the lives of six people.   As the story of what happened in that Safeway parking lot unfolded throughout the weekend, I admittedly fell into tears several times.  The images of the injured and dead, the heroism of the first-responders, and the bravery of the individuals that ran towards the mayhem, caused tears of sadness, fear, and gratitude.  Of course, I prayed for the recovery of the injured, but there was something about the lives lost that left an imprint on my heart. (more…)

Why does bad sh*t drip on good people?  There were moments this thought passed through my head as water dripped on my head from the upstairs bathroom on that Tuesday before Thanksgiving. But did it really matter if the house was not in perfect order over the Thanksgiving weekend?  The house matched the hosts, both imperfect.  And now we had a conversation starter. (more…)

Sean’s right. We were told during a premarital meeting with the priest who married us that “every family is dysfunctional.”   I remember thinking at the time, “I wonder what our dysfunction will look like?”  Nearly eighteen years later, I have a vivid picture.  Don’t get me wrong, Sean and I function quite well together.  We have three great kids (two teenagers and a two year old), a home that is mostly clean (you’ll hear about the “mostly” part in a later post), and a marriage that is still intact and pretty strong (but is wildly active with bickering and conflict).  We pay our bills, enjoy our friends, and partake in the regular activities that all parents/couples do, but a Norman Rockwell painting we are not.  Well, if we were, it would be a new kind of “Norman Rockwell” painting. (more…)