We have a new granddaughter. When we visited our son’s family, we brought gifts for the baby and her big brother. We also gave our grandson a few of the cars and trucks that had once belonged to his father. One truck had the McDonald’s insignia on the side of…
If a woman’s first childbirth was via cesarean section, usually the next birth will be by cesarean section. The CDC provides the statistics for repeat cesarean section. It is 85%. My daughter-in-law’s first baby was born by cesarean section, but she hoped to deliver her second baby normally (vaginally). She…
The Wichita Botanical Garden is family oriented. The great variety of flowers, herbs and trees delight the eyes. And at intervals there is a surprise for children (and adults). Huge lego animals appear throughout the gardens. The dog pictured above had a sign that explained dogs are dichromatic (two kinds…
At the end of July and the beginning of August the thimbleberries ripen in Upper Michigan. Some years I am able to be there to pick the wild berries. But not this year. Instead, I have my memories. Ten years ago I wrote: Thimbleberries grow wild in Upper Michigan. I…
Through the years that I have worked in maternity care I have supported the health of mothers and babies. I am saddened by the view of sexuality in our culture and its effect on the family. Change has come slowly and insidiously. Our human nature can guide us to trust…
The book of Psalms in the Bible gives great comfort. Throughout the poetic words there is a plea for God’s help and acknowledgement of his love and mercy. The Psalms offer both lament and worship. Here is one of my favorite verses as recorded in the Complete Jewish Bible. You…
This week my daughter called me with anguish. She and her husband have a difficult situation with their adopted son. I listened and my heart hurt for her. She was looking for advice and I had little to offer. I said her father and I would pray, and we did.…
Elba Iris Pérez has written an engaging novel about an immigrant family, The Things We Didn’t Know. The story takes us to Woronoco, Massachusetts and to Puerto Rico. The main character is a young girl who must find her identity as Puerto Rican and American. Andrea, came to Massachusetts with…
Last night we attended our granddaughter’s graduation from high school. Each speaker mentioned the pandemic because these students spent their freshman year at home. Their classes were online. But they persevered and are now celebrated for their achievement. I am proud of my granddaughter’s hard work! My thoughts returned to…
Cultures collide on the frontier. Linda Ulleseit’s novel, The River Remembers, is a story set in the Michigan territory during the 1830s and 1840s. Three main characters—each from a different ethnic group—move the story forward. Day Set is a Dakota Indian. Harriet is a Black slave. Samantha is White, a sister…