If you have a big sister like mine, tell her thanks for filling in the gaps.

How we grieve may be singular, but it need not be solitary. We set anchors, milestones, and we remember.

I'm addicted to checkmarks. I pad my To-Do List with tasks I'd do anyway, just so I can check them off the list.

Grief carves chasms in the soul. When those deep wounds heal, they leave scars of redemption, redefinition, and a greater capacity to love.

Facing Fears for a Functional Fraidy Cat means never sitting outside at twilight beside a woman sporting a bouffant. Bats. Bats. Bats.

Christ condescended to be average in order to understand every heartache we will face.

She knew the secret. For those who have eyes to see, every light is a testament of His love for you.

We plan Thanksgiving like our grandmothers did, and we make sure there will always be enough mashed potatoes for all.

If I were Las Vegas' well-meaning aunt, I'd have a sit-down conversation about the dangers of keeping all that vice under wraps.

Awoken by the rain, I turn to memories of my junior high school drama teacher, Mrs. Sanderson, who knew how to control the room.

Does death visit in threes? Sometimes.

I'm a word girl. I listen to the lyrics. My husband? Not so much.

Typewriters make me feel gratitude for my MacBook Pro. Outdated stuff was groundbreaking in its day.

From my perch in our newly emptied nest, I like the idea that I still have time for more firsts of my own.

Hummingbirds are addicted to my Rose of Sharon, flitting from one flower to the next in a dizzying nectar-drunk state of euphoria.

The impenetrable bond between mothers and daughters, and the importance of capturing the moments that make it so.

The House that Sat Down provided a perfect training ground for fledgling spouses, and 30 years later, fledgling firefighters, too.

Look past the categories. Look inside the individual. Find a way to love so mightily it will crowd out the hate.

Do you like to people-watch? Me, too, especially on Main Street at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Would I like a couple of uninterrupted hours to organize my thoughts and escape into the writing zone? Yes. Yes, I would.