Today's Opinions

Nestled inside a grocery sack filled with pint-sized cartons of shelf-stable chocolate milk, four containers of banana yogurt and other kid-friendly snacks is a book about being scared that I hope my daughter will never open without me.

I recently shopped for supplies to keep our daughter, Harper, happy and well-fed for at least 24 hours in the event of an emergency that prevents us from reaching her preschool.

Are you conscious of the chatter in your mind? For the next few minutes, pay attention to it.

Maybe you are making a grocery or “to-do” list. Perhaps you are passing judgment on the person who just walked past you at the mall and comparing how you measure up to her. Now your mind is wandering off to how you have never been good enough or smart enough or pretty enough.

My dad recently decided to sell the old family homestead.

The last time I was there was right after the death of my precious grandmother. The house was to be rented, and my job was to clean it before the new tenants arrived. The task proved to be more difficult than I had imagined.

When I was a child, I always knew grandma would be waiting for me on the front porch. As she got older, she would greet me at the door.