Encouragement

When Floods Happen to Good People My first taste of a natural disaster on a personal level was this week. Monday night our home took in 1.5 feet of water. It happened so incredibly fast. We evacuated “just to be safe” on Monday morning. I just knew that we were overreacting and that we would be back home the next day. All day Monday I kept up with social media from people in the area so I could track the water levels. Family members that live close to us would send me photos of our home so I could get hourly updates on where things stood. Monday seemed to go on forever. By 7:00 pm I was at the point...

The Incomparable Beauty of Community To say that South Louisiana has had a rough month would be an understatement. In July, we felt the fear and heartbreak of a deadly assault on our police. Less than one month later, we are attempting to pick up the pieces of an entire region ravaged by unprecedented flooding. In my neighborhood, the image of blue ribbon attached to an almost completely submerged mailbox bears witness to the fact that we have not yet recovered from one tragedy before facing the next. But true to our culture, Louisiana is proving its resilience, empowered by the strength of its communities. After the police attack, we witnessed support and fundraising like we had never seen before to assist the families...

Gosh, I love the Summer Games! The excitement, the victory, and the camaraderie of nations has me counting down the days for months. Even more than the enjoyment of watching the overwhelming favorite receive their medal(s), I sincerely appreciate the back stories of the athletes. Watching stories of true human victory unfold after overcoming countless struggles tugs at my heart strings. In recent days, I've watched more hours of media coverage from Brazil than I care to admit and I've noted many similarities between the stories of athletes and motherhood. Much like the games, motherhood is a test of endurance, patience and on many occasions athletic ability. In both cases you can never predict the outcome, and both athletes...

Off you go on this new adventure to kindergarten – you will learn a little more about the world around you and how things work. I have learned a few things since sending your brother off to kindergarten a short six years ago. Here are a few things, as your mom, I hope you remember. I won’t always be your best friend. Goodness that was hard to write. You see since you were about two years old, I have ALWAYS been your best friend, maybe even your best friend in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD, as you say with your eyes wide open! I know that the time will come soon when you start meeting friends your age, and you will...

Disclosure :: World Breastfeeding Week is recognized August 1 – 7, 2016. This year, the World Breastfeeding Week theme is about how breastfeeding is a key element in getting us to think about how to value our wellbeing from the start of life, how to respect each other and care for the world we share. Our World Breastfeeding Week is sponsored by Woman’s Hospital. I have always wanted to breastfeed. There was never a doubt in my mind. Sure I would casually say to my friends and family before the birth of my first, "I mean, I'm going to try. If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out." But in my head I was saying, "Oh, it's going to work out. It.will.work.out." I took...