Brooksie, this year has taught me a lot of things about being a mom, about making a family out of individual people, about cultivating joy in the daily and in the difficult, about brothers and their fathers and what it might mean to raise a boy into a man. You are named after two second-born sons. My brother and your dad’s brother. I like to think you’ll be taking the best of your namesakes: Brooks’ humor and tender-heart, his compassion... Read more
When I stood on the second row at Jamie’s church last Sunday and watched her baby girl’s baptism, I was a little teary, mostly because Jamie is one of the dearest friends of all my life. She was my maid of honor and I never imagined I would live close enough to her to watch her baby grow, to be part of her kids’ lives, for our little boys to love each other as much as they do. Being able... Read more
“Any who are sent on an errand which will allow them to return to the monastery on the same day must not eat outside, in spite of pressing invitations whatever their source, unless the superior has approved this..” (The Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 51) Oh, the errands! There are the errands and the falling asleep babies and the boy who wants to walk beside the cart even though you think of a million reasons to convince him that the... Read more
A Thankful Tuesday List: My tendency to hit my funny bone and faint is kind of a joke in my family. I pass out, not when my life is at risk or I’ve truly destroyed a significant part of my appendages, but when I fall down on my knees or hit my elbow on a counter. Such a dorky problem. So, Sunday morning, when I banged my knee on the wall while getting into the shower (going on one hour... Read more
You’re 16-years-old and the boy who kisses you beside the light blue Chevy Spectrum under the moon has berry-thick boy lips, his knuckles rough and cut from punching walls. He is all man, you think. And somewhat good. Becoming better. You hold hands and snuggle in the back of the church van on the way home from a praise and worship service on a Friday night in Oklahoma City. Before that, he tickled the inside of your arm outside under... Read more
Friends, I can’t talk long about poetry without begging you to love my bestest favorite poet-priest ever, the great Gerard Manley Hopkins. I know why he has all my poetry-love. The first time I ever heard his words, they were recited to me by my grad professor Mary while we sat in her office talking about my poems. His words on her tongue were stunning. They were so…what’s the word? Robust. Full. She spoke these words from “Carrion Comfort“: But... Read more
Oh dear, I’m afraid this is my second re-post in one week. But I’ve decided to have grace with myself because this week has been a little less tidy than others. Last night, after a wonderful week in Amarillo with my family, I flew home with the boys and got in late. We are tired from traveling and thankful for Chris and home. I wrote this post almost two years ago but I still hummed the words of this hymn... Read more
“Idleness is the enemy of the soul. Therefore all the community must be occupied at definite times in manual labour and at other times in lectio divina.” (The Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 48) One of the things that makes St. Benedict’s Rule so significant in the canon of ancient Christian writings, is that he had an unusual sense of balance and gentleness. He wrote at a time (7th century) when many believers were burdening themselves under a weight of... Read more
Living in Texas where sunsets look like this from the back deck Rocking side by side with Brooksie on the front porch swing at my parent’s house, my arm around him, my left hand holding his left, our right hands in his blankey The sweet hope of hearing morning songbirds in March. Spring is coming! The community around my parents that has been bringing food almost every day the past week, and that will keep on bringing food after I... Read more
Last night was a sucker punch of bedtime crazy. My screaming preschooler woke his brother up twice between the hours of 8 and 9:30. I was back and forth to them and finally finished bedtime at 10:30, three hours after it had started. I’m still at my parents and felt sorry for myself. So I poured a bowl of M&Ms and sat in the bathtub talking saltily to my husband on the phone until I finally said, while staring at... Read more
Micha Boyett
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