A Camp Like No Other
The counselors and volunteers who work directly with the children do amazing and heartfelt things to help these children grieve and grow.
Full Circle, Friend
As my dear friend Sharon reminded me, “You don’t always realize you’re making memories when you are.”
A Skirt with Tattered Edges
I had my first dream of motherhood in my childhood bed Knew the weight of a distended belly, when I woke my braids were soaked in a cold sweat I saw birthday candles melt,
Letting Go and Looking Forward
Dr. Silviana Falcon is an associate business professor at Florida Southern College, who was last year named the ODK Professor of the Year. In 2021, she published her first book, titled “Lectures and Play: A Practical and Fun Guide to Create Extraordinary Higher Education Classroom Experiences.”
Memories of Mary
Losing a friend, a contemporary, is not something I want to get used to, but as I get older I see more warning signs. My own health isn’t exactly ideal, and friends struggle with a variety of ailments. I certainly don’t dwell on it, but I want to embrace the lessons.
Vexed by Trendy Trauma
Earlier this week my oldest daughter, a psychology major at USF, shared a social media post with me – a square with the word “trauma” on it multiple times with a caption defining trauma in an unfamiliar and slightly disturbing way. She was curious about my thoughts, which sparked my own curiosity about my thoughts, which sparked multiple conversations with multiple kids and even more thoughts. Apparently trauma is trending.
Overlook 10
Overlook 10s are not bad decisions or wrong turns or missed opportunities. They are not unrealistic expectations that go unmet. Overlook 10s are doing everything right, and things still not panning out as you’d hoped.
A Puzzling Paradigm
It's a weird season. Time itself has become a strange phenomenon - more relative, more subjective, and both more and less significant. Everything has slowed as we find ourselves collectively and individually stumbling around in the dark, looking for a new normal. Fear and hope can exist at the same time - as can science and spirituality. I just have to hold it all loosely - and if there has ever been a time to hold things loosely, it's right now.
Dead Flowers and Letting Go
It’s day three of staring at the dead flowers on my dining room table. I still find them beautiful - nuanced and layered and wise. They’re making a mess though. Every day more leaves and petals adorn the wood beneath them, and I feel sad when I look at them. They are fully - dead.
Bandaids are not Stickers
The point was not that bandaids actually made anything better, but that they made my kids feel better. It didn’t matter that the skin hadn’t been broken or that the source of their pain was invisible - a bandaid brought comfort.