I'm baaaaack! My husband and I returned home to dark clouds and snow after a gorgeous week in sunny Cancún, Mexico. It was as if Reality slapped our cheeks, looked us in the eye, and firmly instructed: "WAKE UP, KIDS. VACATION IS OVER." So that was rude. Before getting back into regularly scheduled programming over here, I want to share a couple of posts that were published elsewhere while I was away. I'd love for you to read, comment, share, let me know your thoughts, etc. First, . . .
Higher Aspirations
Hellooooo from sunny Mexico! My husband and I are on vacation this week (all the hallelujahs), so the person I can always count on to step up and help me out has agreed to share on my site while I break for beach time. Enter: my Mom. She's the best. She's a wildly accomplished writer, an actor & director, and one of the most loyal friends I ever did see. She loves the people in her life so well and I'm always honored to be a chip off the old-is-relative block. Welcome, Mom . . .
Guest Post: 5 Ways to Heal after a Hard Year
2009 was a year that really put things in perspective for my family. While we know there is no guarantee life will not be that hard again in the future, we look back with wonder at the fact that we survived all of the obstacles and pain those twelve months held. It was, for us, a terrible year. Was this past year hard like that for you, too? I'm over at iBelieve this week, offering some ideas for ways we can heal after a particularly difficult year. You can read the rest of this post by . . .
Take Heart (And Candy, Too)
It was December 1, 2001: I was 17 years old and halfway through my senior year of high school. Late that morning, I slowly made my way downstairs to the main floor of our home, soon noticing some newly hung decorations at the bottom of the stairs. They were three wreaths, each decorated with twenty-five small bags of candy. I knew these decorations well—they have somewhat magically appeared on every December 1st of every year in my memory. I shouldn’t have felt so surprised to see them on . . .
Ears, Trees, and the Lady Who Works at Dunkin’ Donuts
Every Thanksgiving, my family gathers around the table and, with wild amounts of delicious food at our fingertips, we go around the table and each share something we are thankful for. It is a tradition I loved as a child and looked down upon as a teenager; I still remember my token response throughout my high school years: “My friends.” I was full of angst and attitude and wanted to make sure my family knew how much I valued my friends. High school Mallory was a real treat. These days, most . . .
Rhythms: The Simple & Sacred
Hi friends, This week, I don’t have a ton to say. I submitted an emotional piece a few days ago, which I hope will be published this spring. I’m feeling tired and mostly out of words. However, I’ve committed myself to this space. I want to show up here every week, in some form, even if I’m tired or speechless. I want to be a person who shows up even when I’m not at my best. Tonight, I’m not at my best but I’m here and sometimes that has to be good enough for us. What I cannot do tonight is . . .