Dropping the Seed
The more fully we understand our kids' deep-seated desire to make their own decisions toward their own desired ends, the better off we’ll be in fostering healthy relationships.
Ask Coach Carrington: Can You Come Home, Mommy?
I strongly encourage you to take your cues from your daughter. Search for ways to remind her that you think of her and love her while you are gone so that it strengthens her ability to cope with your absence.
Nighttime Visitor
I’m sure he saw the fire and the soft lighting and the woman sitting on the floor all alone with her computer and saw a big red target over my heart. He knows where to strike, and he’s a darn good shot.
Swimming in the Well
We are all deep wells. The waters are sometimes mysterious, churning in ways we least expect, but they always invite us to know ourselves more deeply.
Old Ideas Made New
I have to believe that if I am truly called to love, then I will be truly equipped to do it. I have to believe that there are treasures to be found on the other side of fear; treasures that are worth mustering the courage to be uncomfortable.
Grace at the Table
What does my husband say in the quiet moments to our son when miscommunication threatens to rob them of unity? How can I learn from the way he parents?
What We Harvest
In a world that thinks vulgarity is a virtue, we as parents have got to take seriously our responsibility to create a home environment conducive to bringing about our kids’ best.
Siblings: Friends?
I am tunnel visioning myself into hopelessness if I only choose to notice when the rising volume indicates trouble. What about all the times the high volume is caused by uncontrollable giggles or shrieks of delight?
My Full-Time Modeling Gig
As a parent I am a model of behavior, a model of decorum, a model of thought and of presentation. I can easily forget how powerful that model is and yet my kids constantly remind me that, consciously or not, they are adopting and adapting what they see in me and making it their own all the time.
When Our Kids Cause us Pain
I have to think that if pain comes from my kids, there must be something for me in it. For each barb they send my way, there must be an opportunity to learn. I know at times when I have felt profound pain or deep sadness, something about the very depth of feeling itself is a hint at something beautiful.