Sunshine Too Bright

The very first time I got on an airplane, I flew from Newark Liberty Airport to Nice Côte d’Azur Airport in the south of France. The runways are as close to the Mediterranean Sea as an airplane should get.  The skies are clear blue, the air is warm, and the water glistens. It is the Azure … More Sunshine Too Bright

I Lit Two Candles

I lit two candles for so much sorrow. I haven’t been able to pray because I don’t know how to ask God for anything beyond mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.  I lit one candle for those we’ve lost, those brought down, those left behind; And one candle for those who’ve taken, those who’ve … More I Lit Two Candles

I’m Scared Too

In one week, Chad and I will be getting on a plane and flying across the ocean to Europe, to France. We are so excited to revisit the beautiful Alsatian city where we studied abroad, where we began our romance ten years ago. We love France. And we watched with grief and sorrow and fear … More I’m Scared Too

Grief

I have a strange fascination with grief, probably coming from death being my biggest fear– death of someone I love, death of my husband, death for me. It’s somewhat unreasonable how afraid I am of death, considering I am a person who believes that this life is not the end, that there is more, and that it … More Grief

My Father-in-Law

I met my in-laws for the first time about six weeks after Chad and I had been dating. We were studying abroad together in France our junior year of college, and his family came over to visit for Christmas. I met the whole family at once: Chad’s parents, his older brother and sister, and his brother’s … More My Father-in-Law