While at a stop sign last week listening to pop music (don’t judge), these lyrics pushed their way into my scattered thoughts, “Toniiiiight we are yoooooung, so lets set the world on fire, we can burn brighter, than the suuuun.” I gave a half snort/half chuckle as I mused that the singer and I probably […]

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I love the idea of Mother’s Day: families taking time to honor those special women who have given so much of themselves. My own mother did so much for my siblings and I, that celebrating her generous love for only one day seems inadequate. For many people, mother’s day can serve as a painful reminder […]

The post The Gift You Might Need This Mother’s Day: Permission to Grieve appeared first on Half Kindled.

I have a custom of writing letters to my children when they are young.  In general, these letters are very personal and a gift that is only shared with the recipient.  Due to the alarming popularity of the “50 Shades of Grey” book and upcoming movie, I decided to make an exception in the case […]

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“The invitations you sent out for Sammy’s birthday were so cute,” a friend complimented at a recent play date.  “It is so sweet that you are doing a themed party.  It makes me think that we should put more effort into our children’s birthday parties.  They are so inadequate.” “Um . . . thank you.” […]

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Recently I posted this article written by a college classmate on my Facebook page.  Later that day, a friend asked me to contrast that article to this one (be warned, the article contains vivid descriptions of what it is like to die a lingering, suffering filled death).  This post is born of thoughts I had after reading both.   […]

The post To Suffer Slings and Arrows: Finding Meaning in Death and Suffering appeared first on Half Kindled.

That was the question that my almost three year old son asked me over breakfast this morning.  I paused for a moment, taken aback. “What makes you ask that, honey?” I said. “Am I going to die?” He responded, more insistently. “Yes, you are Sammy.  So am I. Every one dies at some point in […]

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Hello all, happy Wednesday.  So I know most people don’t have weddings on their mind at this time of year, but in our house it seems like we are invited to a wedding every month or two. I guess that is the hazard of having lots of friends and family; also it comes with the […]

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February was a hard month.  In addition to the bleak skies and restlessness that generally accompany the winter season, this year brought struggles of a decidedly more permanent nature. Towards the beginning of the month, a friend from college died suddenly.  When you are only in your mid-twenties, it is quite a shock when someone […]

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Today, I am so excited to share with you a guest post that I wrote for CatholicHousehold.com detailing my experiences volunteering as a peer counselor at a Crisis Pregnancy Center.  One aspect of my work there involved meeting with women considering having an abortion.  If you are curious to learn what that looks like, please […]

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I have a custom of writing letters to my children when they are young.  This letter is one such example.  In general, these letters are very personal and a gift that is only shared with the recipient.  Due to the alarming popularity of the “50 Shades of Grey” book and upcoming movie, I decided to […]

The post Dear Anastasia: A Letter to My Daughter on 50 Shades of Grey appeared first on Half Kindled.