March 11, 2016
by Maralee
4 Comments
It happened again the other day. I was reading through an article about a child who had experienced abuse and neglect. When I finished reading the article itself, I decided to skim through the comments (I know, I know– rookie … Continue reading
March 7, 2016
by Maralee
1 Comment
“As long as my husband finds me attractive, that’s all I care about.” This seems to be the mantra we wives repeat to make ourselves feel better about the state of our bodies as we age, carry children, and come … Continue reading
February 8, 2016
by Maralee
Comments Off on When it’s Right to do Infertility Wrong (a lesson from Hannah)
When I was little I used to run around with a pillow under my shirt, pretending to be pregnant while also pushing a doll in a stroller, with another doll on my hip. Pregnancy was always part of my plan. … Continue reading
January 21, 2016
by Maralee
2 Comments
When I started getting interest from strangers (most notably, The Washington Post) in talking about race and the post I wrote recently, I decided it was time to reach out to my friend and mentor Stan Parker about having our own conversation, … Continue reading
January 4, 2016
by Maralee
Comments Off on A Woman Called Bitter
A couple weeks ago I listened to a sermon about Ruth. As part of the backstory the pastor talked about Naomi’s transition to the name Mara and what a miserable name that would be to have. That part of the … Continue reading
December 14, 2015
by Maralee
Comments Off on A Newbie’s Guide to Self-Care: Self-Care vs. Selfishness
(This post is part of a series on self-care. You can read my introductory post here.) I started digging into the concept of self-care from a very depleted place. I have a lot of little kids. My marriage was not … Continue reading
November 2, 2015
by Maralee
1 Comment
A friend from college unexpectedly lost her four year-old son in a heartbreaking accident. A close friend was recently diagnosed with another health problem on top of the others she already wrestles with. Painful struggles in my own family have … Continue reading
October 4, 2015
by Maralee
Comments Off on Lies My Miscarriage Told Me (excerpt)
Miscarriages are cruel. They steal your hopes and dash your dreams. They silence you with shame and regret. They make you feel unworthy of the gift of motherhood that comes so freely to others. They make you second-guess every decision … Continue reading
August 11, 2015
by Maralee
Comments Off on The Gospel According to YOLO
If you have any familiarity with pop culture over the last five years, you’ve run across the acronym YOLO– You Only Live Once. The first time I heard it, I had no idea what it meant or even what exactly … Continue reading
July 6, 2015
by Maralee
Comments Off on The God of Thunder
Sometimes I get a little panicked that it will never rain again. I grew up in California– a land of drought and water use awareness. As a kid I remember going to school assemblies devoted to talking about turning off … Continue reading