“My barn having burned to the ground, I can now see the moon.” ~Japanese Poet Masahide For the last seven years, my husband struggled to balance his job and a rigorous Ph.D. program. Several times a day, I would ask myself, “What if all the years we put into this are wasted. What if it [...]

When I sit down to write, I’m assaulted by thoughts. “You have nothing to say,” comes first, coupled with an irresistible urge to check my email — even if I’ve checked it 36 times since breakfast. Next I hear, “You should give up the writer dream and pursue something more suitable — like being a [...]

When I sit down to write I try to rein in my staccato thoughts, to organize them into something cohesive, but instead I’m assaulted by possible status updates, such as the one I just posted: “Jenny is writing about Facebook, listening to an ukulele jam session and watching chickens strut about.” Hmm, I wonder, what [...]

When I was in third grade my brother came home from school one day with exciting news. He had learned that an unprecedented event was to take place that evening. If, he told me, at exactly seven o’clock, I was to hop on one foot for three minutes and then rub my head on the [...]

My church was seeking a head priest, or a rector. I saw a priest praying, and assumed he was a candidate for the position. Not being the shy sort, I didn’t hesitate to ask him. “Excuse me — are you applying to be the rectum of our church?” He looked up at me, and for [...]