by Kendra Broekhuis | Jan 1, 2023 | Relationship, Writing
The same wave of nerves that walked me into middle school somehow made their way back from 2001 to accompany me to the Redbud Writers Retreat. New to the guild, I felt jittery walking into the first whole-group gathering of the weekend. The expansive room was peppered...
by Marie Chan | Jan 1, 2023 | Relationship, Writing
As a woman of color, whenever I enter a new environment, I often first listen, observe, and then evaluate whether it is safe to reveal my full, authentic self. Should I shrink back and be careful about how much I share about my cultural identity? Initially, the...
by Stephanie Reeves | Jul 1, 2022 | Relationship
Dear Reader, I am blessed by a rare collection of close girlfriends. Most of us have known each other for more than a quarter century. Two of us were even in each other’s weddings more than 30 years ago. There are seven of us, and we are from diverse parts of the...
by Bronwyn Lea | Jul 1, 2022 | Relationship
One Sunday morning as we were spilling out of the church doors, I spotted a friend I hadn’t seen in years—a college buddy I’d known long before I was married. I swooped across the courtyard and was met with one of the giant, warm hugs I remembered so well. Two seconds...
by Afton Rorvik | Jul 1, 2022 | Relationship
My mother-in-law has a gift. She can talk to anyone. I once went to an estate sale with my mother-in-law and one of my sisters-in-law. We had just stepped inside the front door when my mother-in-law paused and smiled at another woman also walking in the door. That...
by Nichole Woo | Jul 1, 2022 | Relationship
“Imagine them both 20 years from now,” she prompts, “sprawled out on your couch, balding with beer bellies.” We chuckle as we weave about the rocks and roots on our path, but her next sentence grinds us to an abrupt halt: “Who would you choose?” Elizabeth and I lock...
