Encouragement

I've been inspired. I had a conversation with my friend, Adriana. She's a mom and a photographer. The first time we met, we talked about our children. That conversation evolved into one about pictures of our children and pictures of us, as mothers. I'd like to think that our conversation helped to inspire her totally SPOT ON post convicting mothers to Exist in Photographs, but I'm pretty sure she had that in mind ages before we spoke. Well, I've been convicted and I'm going to try to convict you, too. When I think about all of those pictures that my mother stepped out of just in time - where I'm this cute kid, alone, in my awesome 80's Easter dress, I...

Mental illness is such a tough topic to discuss- so much so that I'm not even exactly sure how to start this post. When people experience a physical ailment like diabetes or ALS, they are encouraged to share about their experiences openly and generally we flood them with support and understanding and encouragement. But struggles with mental illness are typically kept under wraps often because people are scared about how they will be perceived. The problem with the silence surrounding mental health is that it leaves our understanding of mental illness limited to images from dramatic Lifetime movies or news reports of mass shooters. But that's not what most mental illness looks like. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 25% of the...

Motherhood is filled with great joy.  But often, especially when you have small children, it also feels a little like the movie Groundhog Day. A little, well, monotonous day after day. mo not o nous adjective tedious and repetitious; lacking in variety and interest. Sometimes, we need a little inspiration to remind us of the bigger picture. I've recently started listening and watching TED Talks, and I can't get enough! According to the TED website, "TED is a nonprofit devoted to 'ideas worth spreading', usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers most all topics - from science to business to global issues...

I grew up in a family full of strong, opinionated, southern women of all shapes and sizes.  As a family, we all loved to gather together for holidays or special occasions over an abundant feast of deliciously prepared food, and then the next day all the ladies would begin their diets all over again only to avoid getting "fat."  As a child, I always questioned the true definition of "fat." Throughout my formative years, I attended my fair share of Weight Watchers meetings with my mother (who has never been "fat" a day in her life) who taught me from a tender age how to count points.  Looking back, I'm pretty sure that through every season of my life, there have been times where I...

My baby boy is turning a year old at the beginning of this month and it shocks me. “Where has the time gone?” is on the tip of every mother’s tongue during this time in her baby's life, and it has been my mantra these past few months. Really it’s an existential question, and it’s a lament. We are filled with wonder and yearning, sadness and joy because it’s not just about where the time has gone. It’s about knowing that it’s going to keep on going. I was the best mother there ever was… before I became a mother. I knew all the rules, had read several manuals, knew exactly how I would raise my son and was supremely confident...