“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” We recently had the opportunity to see a presentation on the Declaration of Independence while we were in South Dakota. … Continue reading The Pursuit of Happiness
Meet Kristin. She shared her story with me years ago. It has directed some of my discussions with my teenaged daughters. It has helped me when going through this season where I have felt like my idea of beauty has been completely reworked. This struggle is real and isolating, the feeling of not enough or … Continue reading I am Enough
Best laid plans don’t always go as planned. Sometimes they can go completely off track. We were headed to Florida for a fun spring break with friends. They had already flown out the day before and we were to meet them later that day. We arrived early and waited to board the plane, only to … Continue reading Detours
This was too good to wait for this weekend's post. You won't likely see me sharing a lot of my picks for reading. I can tend to be kind of particular in the books I choose and what I enjoy. Typically, they tend to be nonfiction and first-hand accounts of people’s stories. I know, not … Continue reading Fun Summer Read!
I met Garrett a few years ago after a stranger told me about his remarkable story of resiliency and perseverance. I then had the opportunity to hear his incredible story when he volunteered to speak with a group of middle-schoolers I was mentoring in their strengths. What struck me most in his story was how he … Continue reading When the Ground Falls Out From Beneath You
I’ve been nominated for a Versatile Blogger Award by Mitch Teemley from The Power of Story! Here is someone who speaks my language: Stories. The Versatile Blogger Award was created to introduce people to up-and-comers. My task is simple: To tell you 7 Things About Me, and to introduce you to other Up-and-Comers (or new … Continue reading The Versatile Blogger Award
What do you do when your world feels out of control but you have the strength of developer? You foster puppies, of course! The strength of developer is defined as seeing the potential in others. You see everything as having potential and being alive with possibilities. You want to see others experience some bit of … Continue reading The Strength of Developer
Art can tug at your heart. It can capture an emotion, a time, or even a season. When I saw this particular piece of art it was all of the above to me. It captured my attention. It took my breath away. This painting was what breast cancer looked and felt like in my life. … Continue reading Seeing Past the Pain
This is the fourth part of our story as written by Patrick Durand. After we informed our girls of the new diagnosis, I immediately felt relief from the constant tension I had felt over the preceding weeks. I had been so worried about how they would react to the news, particularly Emily, since she was … Continue reading This is Our Story, Part Four
This is part three of our story as written by Patrick Durand. We faced a situation we hadn’t remotely considered only three weeks prior – stage IV breast cancer. And more specifically - death. After the diagnosis, Melissa and I were in a complete daze; we could not concentrate on anything. Our minds continuously processed … Continue reading This is Our Story, Part Three
Strength in Our Stories 