Tag Archives: children

The Gift Of Wonder

Posted in My Crazy Life, Parenting by

I was in a hurry.  My mind was set on one goal.  Get into the store and get out!  We needed paper plates and some white table cloths for an upcoming event, and that was it.  I had NO time to dilly dally and look through the aisles of “junk” in our local dollar store.

But my young daughter had other plans.  You see, when we walked into that discount store, she didn’t see cheap trinkets.  Instead, she saw aisle upon aisle of treasure.  Everything was new and exciting. Breathtaking even.

As she excitedly flitted from one chintzy item to the next, her eyes were wide with wonder.  Every once in a while, she would let out a little gasp of glee at her newest discovery.   Continue reading →

I Won’t Stay Silent!

Posted in Community Impact, Parenting by

Two weeks ago, I heard the heart-wrenching news that one of my former high school classmates had been shot and killed inside her Colorado home. Molly Nickal was just 35 years old. She left behind three beautiful children, the youngest a 3-month-old baby boy. Her husband, Gary Nickal, has been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder.

As I read the news articles chronicling her tragic demise, it was very clear that this beautiful woman was a victim of domestic violence. According to an article in the Mankato Free Press, Molly’s family had been afraid for her because her husband was controlling, violent, and had isolated her from the rest of the family. Molly had even told one of her sisters that she felt like a prisoner in her own home. Continue reading →

Parenting Is For The Full Of Heart

Posted in Parenting by

It looked like something out of a horror movie.  One whole side of her face was covered in red.  It splattered down her neck and blanketed her black and white checkered blouse.  I’ll never forget the look on her face.  It was a mixture of shock and dismay, followed by a round of unexpected giggles.

I breathed a sigh of relief at her kind reaction, hastily apologized, and then turned to face the perpetrator of this heinous act.  My three and a half-year old looked up at me, eyes as big as saucers, the ketchup packet still crumpled under his hand. Continue reading →