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7 Christmas Songs that Make me Cry
Music has always been an essential part of the Christmas season. While I like some of the fun, classic songs of the season, my favorite Christmas songs will never be heard on the radio. The songs I revere most are the ones that move me, whether for the gorgeous instrumentation, the vocals, or the text to which its set. Here are seven Christmas songs that make me cry. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel This is my favorite Christmas hymn. I love the mystery of it. This arrangement by The Piano Guys is so beautiful and mysterious and simple, it moves me. O Nata Lux I am a…
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Self-Care: Another Form of Sabbath we’ve been Neglecting
There is nothing quite like the stillness of morning. When my babies were little, I did the wise thing and slept as long as they did, often trying to delay the arrival of morning by snuggling them close in bed and nursing them back to sleep as many times as they’d allow. But these days, I set an alarm for at least an hour before those little eyes will open. I’ve crept downstairs in the darkness, lit candles around my living room, stretched out on a yoga mat, and eased into the day. I’ve poured myself a hot cup of coffee, sweetening it with honey, and relished its sweet, earthy…
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Making Memories
The grasses were all around, towering above me like trees. They waved gently in the breeze, greeting me as their friend. The autumnal sun had rendered them golden, had made every part of the scene glow with warmth. While I cannot picture him, I know my dad was there. We were fishing together in some small, peaceful body of water, and I felt small in the best way. Then, the quietness was interrupted with a crescendo of noise, and I looked up to see a flock of geese bursting into my vision, flapping their wings against the blushing sky. It was a moment of wonder, and I can still picture…
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Lucy – A Birth Story
Her birth was as all births are: paradoxically traumatic and beautiful. I remember laboring in the tub in the rosy glow of a salt lamp, my husband behind me, rubbing my back, whispering quiet encouragement in the dark veil of night. I remember the way the music echoed softly against the tile walls, the gentle swishing of water as I continually repositioned myself, the primal moaning that cadenced with each contraction. We were the only ones delivering in The Birth Center that night, and it was so peaceful and still, like we were the only people in the world who were awake. The midwife periodically snuck into the room, checked…
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A Beautiful Mess
The first major conflict between Kevin and I happened about a week before our wedding. For months, we had been collecting furniture and decor and packing up our belongings, and the time had finally come to bring it all together in our tiny new apartment. I had anticipated the day with giddiness. Long had I envisioned where every chair, picture frame, and lamp would go to make the 300 square foot space a home. I longed, too, for the romantic harmony of almost-lovers making their first home together. Here’s what happened: My vision didn’t come together. Furniture was larger than I had prepared for, walls to small, outlets in inconvenient…
